Sweet Bliss
by angelofvenus-l3
Summary: Hi,guys!I'm back!Sorry for taking such a long time.Here's the latest chapter.Hope you guys will enjoy this one.Plz read and review.A TrowaMina fic.
1. Default Chapter

SWEET  BLISS 

By  :  angelofvenus_l3

AN  :  I  don't  own  GW  or  SM. The  Senshi  will  play  a  minor  role  in  this  fic  so  there  won't  be  any  other  couple  besides  Mina  and  Trowa.

**CHAPTER  ONE**

"Congratulations, Miss Aino, you're  pregnant," Doctor  Suzuki  announced  as  she  glanced  at  the  test  result  in  her  hand, expecting  the  young  girl  to  rejoice  over  the  news  like  so  many  others  would  have. However, Minako  just  sat  there  in  silence, too  numbed  to  respond  as  she  stared  at  the  brunette  doctor. A  look  of  total  shock  and  bewilderment  graced  her  features.

               "A-are  you  sure?" Minako  inquired  weakly. "I'm  pregnant?"

 Her  mind  began  to  race  at  the  prospect  of  carrying  a  child. His  child. Not  that  it  was  such  a  bad  thing  but  she  didn't  expect  situation  as  such  could  ever  happen  to  her. She  had  dreaded  meeting  him  since  that  faithful  night  but  after  several  days  of  awkward  conversations  and  glances, they  had  finally  surpassed  that  stage  and  regained  back  their  normal  friendship. Now  with  child, she  wasn't  sure  if  it  would  be  as  easy  to  maintain  whatever  was  left. 

               The  doctor  nodded  affirmatively, slowly  taking  her  seat  across  the  expecting  mother. "Four  weeks, to  be  exact," Doctor  Suzuki  said, giving  her  a  brief  smile  before  she  continued  solemnly, noting  Minako's  slightly  worried  features, "But  if  this  is  an  unplanned  pregnancy, then  I  have  several  brochures  that  might  help  you  with  your  options  on  what  to  do  with  it…" 

               By  then  Minako  had  already  tuned  out, too  absorbed  in  her  own  thoughts. She  was  scared, no  doubt  about  the  outcome  but  also  couldn't  help  feeling  excited  at  the  news. Unconsciously, her  hand  went  to  her  stomach  and  was  surprise  to  find  a  delight  knowing  there  was  a  life  growing  inside  of  her. The  feeling  was  overwhelming  and  she  wondered  briefly  if  it  was  her  maternal  instinct  kicking  in. 

               Suddenly  realizing  that  the  doctor  was  still  explaining  to  her  the  procedures  of  aborting  a  child, Minako  quickly  snapped  out  of  her  dazed  mind. However  the  thought  of  giving  up  the  baby  appalled  her, although  she  was  too  stunned  from  the  news  to  interrupt. It  might  be  an  unplanned  pregnancy  but  it  was  definitely  not  worth  taking  its  life  when  truthfully, she  and  her  'partner'  were  responsible  here.

               After  leaving  the  hospital, along  with  several  brochures  that  the  doctor  advised, or  to  be  more  specific, insisted  that  she  took, she  wandered  aimlessly  along  the  sidewalk. After  she  managed  to  overcome  the  shock, she  felt  the  utmost  delight  at  the  news. She  was  only  twenty  but  she  was  already  determined  to  raise  the  child. Their  child. The  sudden  remembrance  that  another  party  was  involved  in  making  the  baby  send  a  slight  discomfort  to  her. 

               Her  mind  drifted  back  to  that  night, a  month  ago  when  Quatre  had  one  of  his  parties. That  night  where  she  had  gotten  so  drunk  and  ended  up  spending  the  night  with  Quatre's  best  friend, Trowa  in  his  apartment. The  next  morning  would  have  been  awful  if  Trowa  hadn't  acted  so  calm  and  control  of  the  whole  situation. He  even  borrowed  her  his  shirt  that  morning  since  the  dress  that  she  wore  the  previous  night  was  found  torn  due  to  his  'aggressiveness'  and   had  politely  accompanied  her  back  to  her  apartment. 

               He  had  apologized  for  whatever  that  had  happened  between  them  and  Minako  couldn't  doubt  his  sincerity. The  first  few  days  for  them  had  been  a  little  awkward  after  that  but  eventually  they  talked  about  it  and  things  went  back  to  normal. Trowa  didn't  appear  at  all  worried  about  the  consequence  of  their  actions  the  previous  night. He  did, however, advised  her  to  get  a  morning  pill  and  even  offered  to  take  her  to  the  doctor  but  she  declined, feeling  so  self  conscious  around  him  all  of  a  sudden. She  had  delayed  that  visit, of  course  due  to  her  busy  schedules. Until  she  started  to  have  dizzy  spells  and  morning  sickness.

               They  had  never  discussed  the  possibility  of  her  pregnancy  and  the  outcome  of  it. Trowa's  possible  reactions  kept  reeling   in  her  mind, worrying  her  even  more  because  she  was  quite  certain  he  couldn't  accept  it. He  was  twenty  four  and  his  life, from  what  Quatre  had  told  her, only  consisted  of  missions  given  by  the  Preventers. She  couldn't  imagine  the  thought  of  that  quiet  and  distant  man  settling  down  or  being  tied  down  to  a  kid, if  not  to  marriage.

               Sighing  wearily, she  decided  to  head  back  home. She  would  have  to  deal  with  her  parents  first, since  her  constant  morning  sickness  and  dizzy  spells  had  aroused  their  suspicions. She  might  not  have  Trowa's  support  in  this  but  her  parents  would  be  there  for  her. At  least  she  hoped  they  would.

               "Hey," Duo  said  cheerfully, peering  his  head  in  between  the  door. 

               "Hey," Trowa  greeted  back, looking  up  just  briefly  before  his  gaze  returned  to  the  opened  file  and  scribbled  something  on  it. "And  by  the  way, your  presence  will  be  much  appreciated  if  you  have  the  decency  to  knock  first  before  you  enter."

               "You  starting  to  sound  like  Wufei," Duo  exclaimed  as  he  closed  the  door  behind  him  and  then  headed  towards  his  friend. "Although  he's  a  little  less…polite."

               "I  try," was  Trowa's  only  reply. He  paused  to  grab  a  file  from  the  nearest  shelve  and  flipped  it  through  before  placing  it  on  his  desk  to  write  something  on  it. Duo  just  stared  at  his  friend  for  awhile, silently  watching  Trowa  in  his  usual  haste  to  complete  his  work  papers. After  awhile  of  silence, Trowa  looked  up, as  though  finally  realized  of  Duo's  presence  and  raised  an  eyebrow  in  aloof  inquiry. 

               "Can  I  help  you?"

               Duo  chuckled. "You  know, I've  never  seen  you  this  busy  in  the  war."

               "That's  what  I'm  paid  for. Is  there  anything  in  particular  you  like  to  discuss?"

               "Thought  you  never  ask," Duo  exclaimed, taking  a  seat  across  the  former  Gundam  pilot  and  held  out  a  rather  fancy  invitation  card  to  Trowa. At  one  glance  Trowa  already  knew  what  it  was. He  flipped  the  card  opened  and  hid  a  small  smile.

               "Finally, about  time," he  stated, glancing  back  at  Duo  who  was  also  grinning  from  ear  to  ear. 

               "I  know," Duo  exclaimed  excitedly. "Finally! Although  it  was  overdue  like, five  years  ago  but  at  least  Heero  had  mustered  the  courage  to  actually  propose. Now  I  can  finally  hold  the  best  bachelor  party  in  the  millennium!" 

"Not  when  it  involve  you  and  alcohol. You  know  how  Heero  feels  about  that  kind  of  party."

               Duo  easily  waved  off  Trowa's  statement  and  at  that  point, Trowa  noticed  that  mischievous  glint  in  his  friend's  eyes. "He'll  change  his  mind  once  the  strippers  arrive."

               "And  you'd  think  he  will  agree  to  that?"

               "What  he  won't  know  won't  hurt  him."

               "I'm  quite  certain  it  would, literally," Trowa  muttered  and  imagined  the  outcome  of  the  party. He  shuddered  slightly  at  that  thought.

After  the  incident  a  month  ago, he  was  very  careful  when  consuming  any  form  of  alcohol, even  though  he  wasn't  a  heavy  drinker. He  rarely  go  to  bars  or  drink  at  parties  but  somehow  he  was  dragged  into  the  consequence  that  only  Duo  could  have  gotten  himself  in. He  had  thought  back  silently  what  had  happened  that  night  and  mentally  scolded  himself  for  such  recklessness, swearing  never  again  to  repeat  the  same  mistake. 

However, since  that  night, Minako  was  frequently  at  the  back  of  his  mind. He  couldn't  understand  why  he  was  thinking  about  her  so  much  lately. Years  ago, he  and  the  rest  of  the  pilots  were  obligated  to  help  the  Senshi  in  order  to  maintain  peace. He  didn't  expect  that  they  would  get  along  quite  well  considering  most  of  them, especially  the  pilots  weren't  that  friendly  or  even  that  excited  at  that  prospect  of  working  together. 

               As  he  half  listened  to  Duo's  constant  babbling  about  his  plans  for  the  upcoming  bachelor  party  and  scanning  a  report  at  the  same  time, his  mind  drifted  into  its  own  train  of  thoughts  about  the  particular  blonde  girl. He  hadn't  seen  Minako  for  two  weeks  now  due  to  his  mission  at  the  Lunar  Base  nor  even  contact  her  or  the  others. The  only  calls  he  got  to  make  was  to  the  HQ  and  his  schedules  were  almost  as  tight  as  Quatre's  considering  he  was  the  supervisor  there. 

               "Don't  you  think  it's  time  we  get  back  home?" Duo  suddenly  asked  after  a  moment  to  peer  out  the  window  at  the  darken  sky. 

               "There's  still  a  few  more  corrections  I  have  to  make. This  paperwork  is  due  tomorrow  for  the  staff  meeting."

               "But  you've  been  cooped  up  in  here  for  almost  twelve  hours  straight," Duo  exclaimed, a  twinkle  of  half  amusement, half  stunned  reflected  in  his  eyes. "You  barely  have  any  lunch  or  dinner  and  what's  worst, you're  putting  Quatre  to  shame! His  filling  up  real  nicely  for  a  busy  politician. Come  on, I'll  treat  you  to  supper  at  this  great  café  Hilde  told  me. It's  right  across  that  Macy's  and  it's  way  cheaper  than  that  restaurant  you  always  go  to…"

               Trowa  wanted  to  decline  but  seeing  that  his  friend  wouldn't  leave  him  in  peace  until  he  agreed, he  finally  gave  in. Besides, he  was  already  lacked  of  substance  to  provide  him  enough  energy  to  complete  the  rest  of  his  tasks  for  tonight. 

               "What?!!!"

               Minako  flinched  as  her  father's  voice  echoed  in  the  living  room, while  her  mother  gaped  at  her, unable  to  form  a  single  word  to  describe  the  impact  of  the  news. Her  father's  voice  was  so  loud, she  couldn't  doubt  the  servants  would  be  able  to  hear  their  conversations  from  their  own  quarters. But  that  was  the  least  of  her  problems  now. 

Clenching  her  fists  tightly  on  her  lap, Minako  fixed  her  trembling  gaze  on  the  floor, not  daring  to  meet  theirs. She  had  expected  them  to  react  this  way  but  she  was  surprised  to  find  herself  having  difficulties  in  facing  this, after  she  had  gone  through  her  plans  numerous  times  in  her  head. She  shifted  uncomfortably  in  the  sofa  as  she  waited  for  them  to  break  the  silence, which  reigned  over  them  for  almost  five  minutes  now. 

               "Minako…" Mrs. Aino  managed  to  utter, disappointment  clearly  evident  in  her  tone  and  she  had  to  bite  her  bottom  lip, as  though  in  fear  of  screaming  uncontrollably  at  her  precious  daughter. Minako  could  see  her  mother's  eyes  moist  with  tears, adding  more  to  the  discomfort  feelings  she  had  gotten  earlier. 

               "How  did  you  get  yourself  into  this  mess, young  lady?!" Mr. Aino  demanded  angrily, rising  to  his  feet  from  the  armchair. "I  told  you  your  wild  behavior  will  cost  you  one  day  and  look  what  happen! Look  at  what  you've  brought  yourself  into! What's  going  to  happen  now?! You…you've  destroy  your  own  future! What  about  your  studies?! Your  career?! How…" His  father  trailed  softly  as  he  let  out  a  sigh, bringing  his  palm  to  rest  on  his  forehead  in  a  manner  to  calm  himself. "How…did  this  happen?"

               Minako  bit  her  bottom  lip  hard, fighting  back  the  tears  that  threatened  to  spill  at  each  remark  he  threw  at  her. "I  already  told  you…"  
               "How  could  Quatre  let  this  happen?!" Mrs. Aino  suddenly  yelled  tearfully. "I  already  told  him  not  to  get  you  involved  in  one  of  his  banquets  with  those  pilot  friends  of  his! And  to  think  I  actually  trusted  him  when  he  insisted  there  won't  be  any  alcohol  there.…"

               Minako  wanted  to  comment  on  that, seeing  as  Quatre  don't  drink. The  poor  boy  didn't  know  that  Duo, the  obvious  culprit  in  this  case, had  secretly  brought  five  crates  of  wine  and  serving  them  as  punch. It  took  her  a  few  sips  to  realize  what  the  substance  actually  was  but  the  alcohol  was  already  seeping  into  her  system  and  she  could  care  less, enjoying  the  pleasurable  feelings  of  being  an  adult. 

               Not  receiving  any  comeback  from  the  girl, Mrs. Aino  glanced  desperately  at  her  husband. Mr. Aino  tried  to  maintain  his  calm  and  asked, although  the  tremble  in  his  tone  signified  his  dread, "Who's  the  father?"

               Minako  hesitated. The  possible  reactions  from  her  parents  suddenly  frightened  her  terribly. If  her  parents  weren't  supportive  enough  of  her  going  to  a  party  involving  the  Gundam  pilots, what  kind  of  reaction  should  she  expect  after  she  slept  with  one  of  them? Her parents  had  never  encouraged  her  to  mix  with  his  circle  of  friends, despite  the  fact  that  Quatre  was  a  distant  relative.

               "Minako, I  asked  you  a  question!" Mr. Aino  demanded, his  voice  rising  by  the  minute. 

               "Trowa…" she  reluctantly  answered, daring  to  meet  his  gaze. Her  eyes  were  filled  with  tears  all  of  a  sudden, reminding  her  she  had  one  more  important  person  to  share  the  news  with and  bearing  the  reaction  towards  it. "Trowa  Barton."

               Her  parents  were  too  stunned  to  reply. They  exchanged  glances  with  one  another  desperately  and  Mr. Aino  fell  to  his  chair. 

               "Trowa…" Mrs. Aino  murmured, her  voice  caught  in  her  throat. "He's  one  of  those  pilots, isn't  he? Does…does  he  know  about…this?"

               Minako  shook  her  head  solemnly  in  answer. 

               "Are  you  planning  on  telling  him?

               Minako  hesitated  but  eventually  nodded.

               "He  doesn't  have  to  know…" Mr. Aino  suddenly  muttered, scowling  in  disapproval. "Both  of  you  didn't  want  this  baby  so  he  doesn't  have  to  get  involved…"

 Minako  frowned  at  him. "What  do  you  mean, he  doesn't  have  to  get  involved? He's  the  father."

               "We're  talking  about  one  of  Quatre's  abnormal  friends  here, Minako  Aino!" her  father  snapped. "What  makes  you  think  he  wants  to  be  involved  in  something  he  did  not  voluntarily  created?! I  can't  imagine  that  cold  man  fathering  my  grandchild  or  any  other  child  he  might  bear, for  that  matter! He  cares  nothing  but  those  missions  of  his, so  don't  bother  telling  him  because  THIS  has  never  happen!"

               Minako  sunk  back  in  her  chair  at  the  sudden  remark. She  was  stunned, not  particularly  at  the  statement  but  at  the  meaning  hidden  within. "You  want  me  to….abort  it…"

               Mr. Aino  stared  at  her, his  eyes  pinning  her  firmly  and  his  silence  in  confirmation. Minako  gasped  and  she  glanced  at  her  mother  for  support  but  Mrs. Aino  refused  to  meet  her  teary  gaze, indicating  her  agreement  with  her  husband. 

               Minako  felt  her  world  crashing  upon  her  at  the  gesture. She  had  never  been  so  hurt  and  betrayed. Rising  to  her  feet  angrily, she  cried, "No! I'm  not  going  to  do  that!" 

               "Minako…" her  mother  tried  to  reason  with  her  but  was  abruptly  cut  off.

               "No!" Minako  shrieked, tears  streaming  down  her  cheeks. "No, that's  not  an  option, mother! I'm  not  giving  my  baby  up!"

               "Oh, lord," Mrs. Aino  murmured  softly, glancing  worriedly  at  her  husband. "This  is  so  much  worst  than  your  obsessions  with  idols."

               "Then  what  do  you  propose  to  do?" Mr. Aino  yelled  back  at  Minako, equally  angry. "You're  only  twenty, not  to  mention  still  studying, working  part-time  and  living  on  your  own  miles  away  from  us, how  do  you  expect  to  raise  the  child  with  that  amount  of  money? And  time! How  much  time  from  your  busy  schedules  can  you  afford  to  spend  with  your  baby? What  about  our  reputation? What  will  the  others  think? I  refuse  to  allow  my  flesh  and  blood  be  the  topic  of  the  latest  newsletter  among  my  friends  and  colleagues!"

               "I  don't  care," Minako  insisted  weakly. "I-I  have  to  take  responsibility  for  my  actions. I'm  not  going  to  take  its  life  because  of  my  recklessness. Ev-even  if  Trowa  refuse  to  take  responsibility, I'll  find  a  way  to  work  this  out."

               "Then  you  can  take it  elsewhere!" Mr. Aino  bellowed. "Do  what  you  want  now, you've  always  been  like  that  since  you  were  little! I  don't  care  and  don't  you  dare  come  running  back  to  us  if  you're  not  capable  of  controlling  your  life  like  you  are  right  now!!"

               Minako  was  taken  aback  by  that  but  she  managed  to remain  on  her  ground  and  looked  back  at  him  painfully. "You  don't….want  to  be  a  part  of  this, do  you?" she  accused  softly.

               When  her  parents  remained  silence, Minako  knew  she  was  all  alone. Tearing  her  gaze  from  theirs, she  grabbed  her  handbag  and  run  from  the  room, tears  trickling  past  her  cheeks. She  almost  knocked  over  a  surprise  servant  who  was  bringing  a  tray  of  tea  but  she  just  kept  running  and  left  the  mansion, not  turning  back  nor  even  bothered  by  the  fact  that  it  was  pouring  outside. 

               She  was  immediately  soaked, the  cold  wrapped  around  her  thicker  than  her  garments  but  she  could  barely  feel  anything  else  other  than  her  mixed  emotions. She  didn't  expect  them  to  be  so  negative  about  the  news. If  her  parents  had  reacted  this  way, what  about  Trowa? What  would  he  say? How  will  he  react? Those  questions  swarmed  her  mind  endlessly, bringing  out  her  fear  and  pain. She  didn't  want  to  do  this  alone, she  suddenly  realized. Worse  of  all, she  wasn't  sure  if  she  could. Her  close  friends  were  currently  studying  abroad, all  scattered in  different  continents  of  the  world  and  even  if  they  lived  nearby, she  could  not  possibly  burden  them  with  her  problems. 

               She  slowed  her  pace, dragging  her  feet  towards  an  unknown  destination  that  her  body  seemed  to  know. Her  hair  hung  limply  at  her  sides, while  her  tears  mixed  with  rain  water  that  trickled  on  her  face. The  street  was  empty, since  it  was  already  past  midnight  and  combined  with  the  heavy  rain, no  one  in  their  right  mind  would  want  to  spend  outside  in  this  sort  of  weather.

               As  she  wandered  aimlessly  in  the  rain, her  mind  deep  in  thought  when  suddenly, a  warm  voice  greeted  her  from  behind. 

               "Minako?"

               Turning  around, she  let  out  a  startle  gasp  at  the  familiar  figure. He  had  obviously  came  back  from  work, seeing  as  he  was  still  wearing  his  uniform  and  holding  an  umbrella. She  wondered  briefly  why  he  was  there  until  she  finally  took  in  where  they  actually  were. Right  in  front  of  his  apartment  building. Strangely  enough.

               Trowa  was  startled  to  find  her  there, her  slender  form  soaking  wet  and  with  clothes  barely  enough  to  protect  her  from  the  rain. What  ached  him  the  most  was  how  miserable  she  looked  in  that  state. She  appeared  to  be  in  dazed, lost  in  her  thoughts  as  though  she  didn't  have  enough  sense  to  stay  in  bed  at  this  hour  and  kind  of   weather. 

He  went  over  to  her  and  made  sure  she  was  under  his  umbrella, gesturing  her  briefly  towards  his  building  and  when  she  nodded, he  pulled  her  gently  to  him. He  ignored  the  dampness  seeping  through  his  clothes  as  he  wordlessly  brought  her  back  to his  apartment. Her  skin  felt  so  cold  and  he  had  the  urge  to  envelope  his  arms  around  her  until  she  was  warm. He  wasn't  sure  why  she  was  there  but  all  he  cared  about  now  was  getting  her  a  shelter  and  out  of  those  wet  clothes. Trowa  silently  noted  her  red  rimmed  eyes  that  were  still  wet  with  tears, telling  him  that  she  had  been  crying  for  awhile  and  he  wondered  what  prompted  her   to  such  state.

               Once  they  were  in  his  living  room, Minako  stood  awkwardly  at  the  doorway  as  she  watched  him  disappeared  to  one  of  the  rooms  before  emerging  moments  later  with  a  large  towel. He  casually  wrapped  it  around  her  body, pushing  locks  of  her  damp  hair  behind  her  ears  and  brushing  them  from  her  face. Minako  felt  tingles  of  electricity  from  his  brief  touches  and  their  faces  were  so  closed, she  could  feel  his  warm  breath  and  smelled  his  cologne. 

               "Why  don't  you  sit  down, I'll  get  you  something  warm  to  drink," he  said  gently, leading  her  slowly  towards  the  couch. When  his  hand  wrapped  loosely  around  her  waist, her  body  tensed  up  at  the  sudden  closeness  between  them  but  Trowa  misunderstood  this  and  chuckled  a  little.

               "Don't  worry, I'm  not  going  to  take  advantage  of  you  this  time," he  joked  half-heartedly, the  small  tug  at  the  corner  of  his  lips  easing  the  tension  between  them. Minako  managed  a  weak  smile  and  sat  on  the  sofa. Suddenly  being  in  his  apartment  brought  out  some  flutters  in  her  stomach. As  he  went  over  to  the  kitchen  to  make  her  something  to  drink, her  gaze  lingered  around  the  living  room. She  didn't  actually  get  a  chance  to  inspect  his  apartment  before  on  that  night  since  both  of  them  were  too  occupied  with  one  another.

               Trowa  was  well-organized  when  it  came  to  sorting  out  documents, accomplishing  missions  and  completing  his  tasks  and  that  particular  nature  of  his  wasn't  confined  only  to  his  office. His  apartment  was  spotless, very  spacious  for  someone  who  lived  alone  and  well-decorated  for  a  guy. He  had  plastic  green  plants  hung  at  certain  corners of  the  living  room  while  several  pictures  of  the  other  pilots  and  his  surrogate  sister, Catherine  decorated  the  walls. The  furniture  was  well  arranged  and  reading  materials  from  various  fields  were  stacked  neatly  on  the  bookcases.

               She  shifted  her  gaze  towards  the  other  four  rooms, which  were  seal  from  prying  eyes  by  large, oak  doors. She  knew  very  well  which  one  was  his  bedroom, having  spent  the  night  there. It  was  closed, as  usual  since  Trowa  was  very  private  when  it  came  to  his  personal  life  and  items. She  blushed  as  she  recalled  back  what  it  looked  like  inside, which  prompted  her  into  another  rush  of  blurry  memories  but  intense  feelings  that  trailed  with  them. 

               "Here," he  offered  her  a  mug  filled  with  brownish  liquid. She  caught a  whiff  of  chocolate  from  it  and  gratefully  took  the  mug, warming  her  hands. 

               "Arigato," she  hesitantly  mumbled. "I…I'm  sorry  to  just…I  didn't  meant  to  drop  by…I  don't  know, I  was  just  walking  around  and…before  I  knew  I  found  myself  here…I  didn't  mean  to  bother  you…It's  getting  rather  late…gomen.." She  paused  and  repeated  solemnly  this  time  in  a  tone  barely  audibly  to  herself, "Gomen."

               Trowa  blinked. He  knew  something  was  amiss  and  her  worrying  tone  confirmed  his  suspicions.

               "Is  something  wrong?" he  asked, more  towards  curiosity  than  concern. She  seemed  reluctant  to  answer  so  Trowa  decided  to try  a  different  approach. "Where  were  you  from?"

                "My  parents'," she  managed  to  reply, placing  the  mug  on  the  coffee  table  without  drinking  it. 

               "Family  dinner?"

               "Kind  of," she  murmured. "We  have  that   sort  of  arrangement  every  weekend  nights  since  I  moved  out." Her  gaze  saddened  when  she  continued, "I  doubt  we'll  have  that  anymore."

               Trowa  had  several  guesses  as  to  what  had  happened  there  but  one  he  was  most  certain  had  happened  was  an  argument  that  broke  out  in  the  middle  of  the  meal. About  what, he  couldn't  tell  but  it  seemed  quite  serious. Seeing  that  Minako  still  didn't  feel  comfortable  talking  about  it  as  she  remained  silence, he  decided  not  to  press  on  it. 

               "Whatever  it  is, I  think  it's  better  than  you  changed  into  something  warm  and  dry," Trowa  said, rising  to  his  feet. Minako  looked  up  at  him  in  surprise  at  his  abrupt  movement. "I  think  I  have  something  that  you  can  wear."

               Minako  hesitated. Her  tongue  was  so  eager  to  get  the  news  over  with  and  let  him  know  but  her  mind  was  fighting  back  for  control, wanting  to  wait  for  the  right  time. The  impact  from  her  parents'  reaction  was  still  fresh  and  she  didn't  think  she  could  take  another  attack  from  the  one  person  who  was  partly  responsible  for  her  situation. And  the  only  one  she  could  count  on  for  now.

               "Trowa, wait," she  called  gently  before  he  could  go  any  further  and  when  he  glanced  at  her, she  felt  her  courage  faltered  at  those  probing  eyes. "I…I  think  I  better  go…Sorry  to  bother  you…" 

               "It's  pouring  outside," Trowa  stated  flatly. "You  can't  make  it  halfway  to  your  apartment  without  being  blown  by  the  wind. Besides, it's  dangerous  to  go  out  alone  at  this  time  of  night." He  paused  as  another  thought  occurred  to him. He  seemed  a  little  reluctant  to  mention  it  at  first  but  eventually  continued, "You  can  stay  here  for  tonight  in  the  guestroom." 

Seeing  her  startle  expression  quickly  prompted  him  to  blush  a  little, remembering  the  last  time  she  spent  the  night  here. Despite  all  those, he  meant  well  and  truly  hoped  that  Minako  didn't  harbor  any  suspicions  towards  his  intention. It  was  difficult  enough  for  him  to  ease  the  awkwardness  between  them  the  day  after, he  didn't  want  that  sort  of  atmosphere  to  linger  around  every  time  when  they  met.

Minako's  mind  raced  at  the  thought  of  spending  the  night  here. Under  normal  circumstances, she  wouldn't  mind  doing  so  for  Trowa  had  earned  her  trust  over  the  past  few  months. She  used  to  have  a  crush  on  him  when  they  first  met  but  Trowa  had  never  initiated  it  which  wasn't  a  surprise. She  had  even  gone  to  the  extent  of  flirting  and  even  asking  him  out, knowing  well  enough  he  wouldn't  respond, taking  it  lightly  than  she  had  hoped  for. He  had  never  gave  her  any  indication  that  he  was  interested. Not  even  after  they  had  spent  their  night  together. 

And  now, he  had  offered  his  place  for  shelter  for  tonight  yet  she  wasn't  certain  if  it  was  wise  for  her  to  accept.

"Would  it  be  too  weird  for  you?" Trowa  asked, noticing  she  was  taking  too  long  to  respond. 

"No," Minako  exclaimed, a  little  too  quickly  than  she  intended. "No, it's  just  that…I  don't  think  it'll…" While  she  let  her  sentence  trailed, she  noticed  Trowa  had  his  attention  elsewhere. He  frowned  at  the  brochure  on  the  sofa  which  had  fell  from  her  handbag  and  picked  it  up. Minako's  heart  quicken  its  pace  as  she  watched  Trowa  scanned  the  brochure. His  eyes  widen  a  little  once  his  mind  managed  to  feed  on  what  his  eyes  saw  and  looked  at  Minako  questioningly  at  first, before  the  realization  registered  in  his  racing  mind. All  of  a  sudden, Minako  felt  her  voice  caught  in  her  throat, unable  her  to  explain  properly  without  trembling.

"Are  you…pregnant?" 

His  voice  was  inaudible  but  clear  enough  for  her  to  hear. Whether  he  was  angry, upset  or  enthusiastic  at  the  idea, she  wasn't  certain. All  she  could  manage  was  a  nod  at  him. He  stared  at  her  in  stunned  silence. 

"Am  I…"

"Yes." 

She  didn't  even  hear  herself  answer  him  but  from  the  astonishment  displayed  in  his  handsome  features, she  had  to  look  away. It  was  almost  too  much  for  her  to  bear. A  tear  trickled  down  her  cheek  and  another  made  its  path. 

Before  she  could  react, she  felt  his  warm  palms  caressed  her  cheeks  and  brushed  the  tears  away. She  looked  at  him  forlornly, searching  for  his  feelings  that  displayed  in  his  eyes  but  they  were  concealed. His  features  remained  impassive  now, as  though  he  had  fully  taken  in  the  whole  news  and  gained  controlled  of  his  emotions  once  again.

All  of  a  sudden, much  to  her  shock, he  gave  her  a  comforting  smile  and  pulled  her  close  until  her  body  was  pressed  against  his. Instinctively, her  hands  went  up  to  wrap  loosely  around  his  waist  and  her  forehead  rested  on  his  shoulder. His  arm  went  over  to  her  waist  while  the  other  stroke  her  hair. 

"It's  okay," he  murmured  soothingly  to  her, easing  her  pain  all  at  once. "We're  going  to  have  a  baby. It  can't  be  that  bad…"

Although  she  was  surprised  to  receive  this  kind  of  reaction, especially  from  him, she  felt  so  warm  in  his  arms  like  this, so  secured. And  his  words  were  so  comforting. Unable  to  stop  her  tears  from  wetting  her  cheeks, she  buried  her  face  on  his  shoulder  and  let  the  rest  flowed, crying  softly.

 Trowa  let  her  sobbed  on  his  shoulder, holding  her  so  close  to  him  he  couldn't  doubt  she  could  hear  his  heart  pounding. His  arms  wrapped  around  her  almost  tightly  as  though  he  was  able  to  absorb  her  pain, trying  his  best  to  warm  her. Her  skin  was  so  cold  and  combined  with  her  tears, it  was  enough  to  hurt  him. Yet  he  was  still  a  little  confused. Was  she  upset  because  this  pregnancy  would  destroy  her  future  or  because  of  her  parents'  resentment  towards  the  possible  idea  of  she  going  through  it? 

Even  so, he  never  thought  anything  like  this  could  ever  happen  but  now  that  it  had, he  wouldn't let  it  go  easily. Heck, he  could  not  let  this  go. He  was  surprised  to  find  himself  actually  delighted  and  thrilled  upon  the  news  and  not  at  all  concerned  of  the  consequences. His  mind  was  already  making  probable  figures  and  plans  for  the  future. No  matter, he  was  determined  to  get  Minako  involved  in  this  and  even  if  she  refused, he  would  work  something  out  for  the  three  of  them  to  spend  some  time  together. As  family.

After  a  while, Minako  finally  had  stopped  crying  and  only  light  sniffles  were  heard  from  her. She  was  grasping  his  front  shirt  while  her  forehead  was  now  pressed  against  his  chest, her  mere  action  portraying  her  vulnerability. He  felt  the  familiar  urge  to  protect  her  and  unconsciously, he  pulled  her  closer  towards  him. 

"What's  going  to  happen  now?" she  suddenly  inquired. Her  voice  was  so  soft  but  Trowa  could  detect  the  slight  tremble  in  it.

"You're  going  to  change  into  something  warm," Trowa  said, deliberately  misunderstanding  her. "And  then, you're  going  to  sleep  over  here  tonight."

Minako  looked  up  at  him, her  eyes  still  held  doubts  in  them. "Trowa, I  meant, about  the  baby…"

"I  know  but  you're  not  in  the  condition  to  discuss  about  this. We'll  settle  this  tomorrow." He  paused, instantly  remembering  the  brochures. "You're  not  planning  to  abort  our  baby, are  you?"

Minako's  eyes  widen  a  little. Not  at  the  accusation  he  made  but  at  the phrase  he  used. Our  baby. "No, of  course  not," she  murmured, still  in  daze. "That's…that's  partly  the  reason  why  my  parents  and  I  fought."

Trowa  wasn't  the  least  surprise, having  met  Minako's  strict  parents  several  times  before. At  first  glance, he  could  easily  tell  they  weren't  exactly  fond  of  him  and  the  other  pilots. But  he  was  relieved  that  Minako  had  refused  to  abort  their  baby, despite  the  fact  that  she  would  loose  all  ties  with  her  relatives. Which  made  him  even  more  determined  to  protect  her  now  that  she  had  no  one  else  to  support  her. Her  family  was  miles  away  and  so  were  her  friends, which  was  an  advantage  for  Trowa  if  he  was  to  take  actions  to  help  her. 

"I'm  sorry  about  that," he  said  softly. "But  right  now  let's  just  get  you  into  something  warm  and  dry."

Minako  was  too  weary  to  protest  so  she  allowed  Trowa  to  lead  her  to  the  guestroom. After  she  took  a  quick  shower  and  slipped  into  an  oversized  sweater and  a  sweatpants  which  obviously  belonged  to  the  Heavyarms  pilot, Trowa  brought  her  another  warm  mug  of  hot  chocolate  into  the  room. 

The  color  finally  returned  to  her  face  once  she  took  a  sip  of  the  drink. Trowa  studied  her  quietly  as  she  took  another  sip. Her  features  were  as  radiant  as  he  could  remember, her  eyes  still  sparked  with  life  despite  her  ordeal. He  had  given  her  his  smallest  sweats  he  could  find  and  seeing  her  in  his  clothes  triggered  something  inside  him, though  it  wasn't  the  first  time  she  had  done  that.

"Why  are  you  looking  at  me  like  that?" Minako  asked  upon  realizing  his  scrutiny. 

Surprisingly, he  blushed  a  little  and  Minako  took  a  small  delight  in  seeing  his  cheeks  redder  than  usual, making  him  looked  so  much  like  a  school  boy  in  contrast  to  his  cold  demeanor.

Straightening  himself  from  the  door  he  was  leaning  against, he  replied  back  with  a  shrug, "Nothing. I  was  just  wondering  how you  would  look  like  after  seven  months. I  doubt  I'll  have  any  sweats  big  enough  to  fit  you  then."

Minako  let  out  a  small  giggle. "I  don't  think  my  own  clothes  would  be  able  to  fit  me. But  thanks  for  this. Which  reminds  me, I  still  haven't  return  back  the  shirt  that  you…" Minako  paused  as  a  blush  crept  through  her  cheeks  and  she  quickly  finished, "..borrowed  me."

Trowa  took  a  delight  in  seeing  her  face  all  red  and  flush  like  this  but  he  kept  his  features  straight. "You  can  keep  it. It's  the  least  I  can  offer  for  the  damages  I've done  to  your  dress. Do  you  often  have  morning  sickness? Cravings?"

Minako  looked  thoughtful. "No, not  really. I  mean, occasionally  I  have  the  urge  for  some  pistachio  ice-creams  on  bread  with  walnuts  at  the  side  but  that's  it. And  I  don't  have  morning  sickness  that  much. At  least  not  every  morning."

"Mood  swings?"

"No, I  don't  think  so…Why  are  you  suddenly  asking  me  all  these  questions?" she  exclaimed, half-jokingly. 

Trowa  shrugged. "It's  my  right  as  the  father  to  the  baby  you're  carrying."

Minako  was  taken  aback  by  his  directness. Yet  she  was  moved, seeing  that  he  cared  for  her  well-being  more  than  her  parents  ever  had. Or  so  it  seemed. 

"Gomen, it's  just  that  I  didn't  think…you  would  want  to  get  involve  in  this. I  mean, you're  only  twenty  four, you  still  have  so  much  to  gain  in  your  work. And  I  cannot  imagine  you  being  tied  down  to  a  kid. That  could  seriously  put  a  dent  in  your  social  life. Not  that  you  ever  have  any  but  still…"

Trowa's  eyes  twinkled  upon  her  statement. "I  intend  to  take  full   responsibility  for  my  actions. And  to  be  honest, this  is  so  much  better  than  my  what's  left  of  my  social  life  anyway." He  took  a  quick  glimpse  at  his  wristwatch  and  casually  continued, "You  better  get  some  sleep. It's  already  past  two  in  the  morning."

Minako  took  her  time  to  digest  his  speech  and  wondered  if  he  truly  meant  what  he  had  said. His  speech  intrigued  her, she  instantly  realized  how  much  pleasure  she  found  just  to  hear  those  rare  comforting  words  from  him. It  wasn't  everyday  nor  every  month  she  received  his    devoted  attention. 

Trowa  started  to  leave  until  she  called  him, "Trowa…"

Trowa  turned  and  looked  at  her  expectantly. Minako  smiled  appreciatively  at  his  concern  and  replied  softer  than  she  intended, "Thank  you."

               That  night, Trowa  was  unable  to  sleep. He  had  tossed  and  turned  for  almost  two  hours  and  still, sleep  had  not  claimed  him. He  was  not  certain  if  it  was  due  to  the  fact  that  Minako  was  sleeping  in  the  next  room  or  the  fact  the  he  was  about  to  become  a  parent  but  what  he  was  quite  certain  was  the  rush  of  exhilaration  that  still  flowed  in  him. Perhaps  it  was  a  mixture  of  both  that  prompted  him  to  such  state  yet  the  last  thing  he  would  worry  about  was  his  lack  of  sleep.

               Sitting  up  on  his  bed, he  stared  blankly  across  at  the  wall  that  separated  him  and  Minako. He  could  imagine  her  soft  hair  in  slight  disarray, her  small  fist  curled  loosely  underneath  her  chin  and  her  chest  rising  and  falling  in  a  gentle  manner  of  breathing. Just  like  she  did  the  last  time  they  spent  their  night  together. He  had  woken  up  way  early  than  she  had  that  night  and  after  he  had  recovered  from  the  shock  of  finding  her  next  to  him, he  remembered  studying  her, transfixed  by  the  beauty  that  laid  beside  him. She  had  looked  so  serene, so  peaceful…He  remembered  the  frightening  urge  to  embrace  her  right  there  and  then  and  never  let  go, trailing  gentle  kisses  all  over  her  until  she  would  succumb  to  him. 

               A  deep  sigh  tore  his  lips  as  he  stared  at  the  wall, so  intense  as  though  his  vision  could  penetrate  the  solid  concrete  and  captured  the  beautiful  image  of  an  angel  that  laid  just  within  his  reach. That's  right, he  though  silently  to  himself. She  laid  just  within  his  reach. Yet  it  still  felt  so  far  away.

               Before  he  realized  what  he  was  doing  and  about  to  do, Trowa  found  himself  heading  towards  the  oak  door  that  laid  in  between  him  and  her. Another  obstacle. His  hand  gently  grasped  the  knob  but  he  hesitated. What  if  she  was  awake? his  mind  cautioned. What  if  she  found  him  in  her  room, how  would  she  react? 

               Yet  he  thrust  those  annoying  thoughts  away  as  he  was  too  overwhelmed  with  emotions  to  worry  about  the  consequences. Turning  the  knob, he  slowly  entered  the  room. The  large  floor-to-ceiling  window  provided  the  only  source  of  light  that  bestowed  upon  her  a  ghostly  facade. The  rain  had  long  stopped  but  the  sky  was  still  dark  and  the  stars  still  sparkled  against  the  midsummer  night, twinkling  brightly  in  its  patterns. 

               It  was  such  a  beautiful  night. Yet  his  eyes  failed  to  take  note  of  its  beauty  as  they  had  immediately  rested  at  the  sleeping  angel  across  the  room. Her  body  was  wrapped  loosely  with  a  white  comforter, outlining  her  figure  almost  as  nicely  as  he  could  remember. Long, blonde  tresses  laid  in  disarray  on  the  pillow, several  locks  fell  to  her  cheek  while  the  rest  seemed  to  flow  gracefully  at  her  side. Her  tiny  fists  curled  loosely  under  her  chin, a  strand  of  her  hair  fell  across  her  face. 

               She's  so  beautiful, he  thought, his  gaze  softening  at  the  angelic  sight. He  had  the  familiar  urge  to  pull  her  into  his  arms  and  waked  her  up  with  butterfly  kisses  all  over  her  delicate  face  until  she  succumbed  to  the  pleasure  that  she  aroused  in  him. The  sight  of  her  curled  in  his  arms  that  night  was  clearly  etched  in  his  mind, awakening  his  desires  to  ravish  her  over  and  over  again. He  had  carefully  concealed  those  urges  and  longing, keeping  them  secured  in  the  back  of  his  mind  yet  they  refused  to  be  ignored  and  he  would  find  himself  thinking  of  that  night  every  now  and  then, hoping  in  some  way  to  relive  it  once  again. With  her…

               Unable  to  shift  his  gaze, much  less  walked  away, he  decided  to  stay  with  her  just  for  tonight. At  least  for  awhile. She  stirred  a  little  and  her  features  hardened  just  slightly  as  she  sniffled. Noticing  this, Trowa  slowly  eased  onto  the  bed  and  sat  gently  next  to  her, pulling  the  comforter  to  her  chin. 

               His  slight  movement, however, caused  her  eyes  to  flutter  open  and  her  sleepy  gaze  immediately  fixed  at  him. Trowa's  heart  was  hammering  so  hard  at  that  point  but  surprisingly, she  didn't  seem  at  all  angry  or  shock  at  his  presence, nor  did  she  gave  any  indication  that  she  suspected  what  his  intentions  were. Her  half-lidded  eyes  focused  on  his, warm  blue  ones  probing  his  emerald  green  seemingly  in  a  pleading  manner.

               "Trowa…" 

It  was  barely  audible, so  soft  that  it  could  almost  easily  came  from  the  wind. Slowly  Minako  sat  up  on  the  bed  and  still, Trowa  did  not  moved. He  was  frozen  on  the  spot  and  his  mind  was  fighting  for  control, failing  miserably  at  it  though. 

               "Is  something  wrong?" she  inquired, pushing  a  strand  of  her  hair  behind  her  ear. 

               "No," Trowa  quickly  replied, still  managed  to  remain  impassive  while  his  heart  threatened  to  burst  from  his  chest. "I  just  came  to  check  up  on  you. Sorry, I  didn't  mean  to  wake  you  up."

               "Daijobu," she  said, smiling  wearily  at  him, still  muffled  from  sleep. Before  Trowa  could  react, Minako  gently  laid  her  head  on  his  shoulder  and  sighed, her  eyes  closed.

               "Minako…" Trowa  murmured  in  uncertainty, shocked  at  her  boldness  yet  he  was  tempted  to  submit  as  well.

               Minako  didn't  reply. Instead, she  snuggled  deeper  to  him  and  Trowa  had  to  hold  her  in  order  to  balance  himself  from  falling  off  the  edge  of  the  bed. Her  arms  wrapped  around  his  waist  tenderly  as  she  murmured, half  muffled  by  his  sweater, "Please  stay, just  for  tonight.."

               Trowa  wasn't  quite  certain  to  what  extent  of  his  'staying  for  tonight'  but  he  was  not  about  to  refuse. So  gently, he  pulled  her  towards  him  as  he  laid  down  on  the  bed  while  she  shifted  comfortably  in  his  arms  for  a  better  position, not  realizing  her  movements  were  causing  his  systems  to  run  wild.

               Shortly  later, she  fell  into  a  deep  slumber. Trowa  was  contented  just  having  her  in  his  arms  like  this. He  spent  the  next  few  minutes  studying  her  serene  features  as  she  slept, memorizing  her  and  committing  the  image  into  memory. His  hand  that  was  securely  wrapped  around  her  waist  rested  on  her  stomach  and  he  gently  caressed  that  area. Hiding  a  small  smile, he  tried  to  search  for  a  tiny  bump  or  any  indication  of  her  state  but  he  noted  the  fact  that  she  was  merely  a  month  pregnant  so  any  evidence  wouldn't  be  apparent  until  a  couple  more  months. Still, he  was  eager  to  watch  her  belly  grow  and  much, much  anticipating  the  moment  when  his  child  was  borne. 

               Sighing  blissfully, he  closed  his  eyes  and  slowly  drifted  off  while  vision  of  a  young  woman  with  a  pair  of  sparkling  cerulean  eyes  accompanying  him  for  the  rest  of  the  night.


	2. chapter two

SWEET  BLISS 

**CHAPTER  TWO**

Trowa  fixed  himself  a  coffee  as  he  waited  patiently  for  Minako  to  wake  up. He  was  heavy  with  dread  of  the  approaching  morning, knowing  that  he  wouldn't  have  another  night  as  close  as  this  with  her. However, as  dawn  breaks, he  left  her  room  to  shower  and  proceed  to  his  daily  routine. Although  last  night's  'sleepover'  wasn't  as  serious  or  proved  to  bear  scarring  repercussion  towards  their  current  relationship, Trowa  had  several  ideas  how  Minako  would  react  it. But  the  only  way  for  him  to  deal  with  this  matter  was  to  act  indifferently  towards  her  as  he  always  had. Because  frankly, he  didn't  how  else  to  react  to  it  that  would  suit  their  predicament  well. And  from  his  observance, he  doubted  she  knew  how  to  analyze  their  situation  clearly  and  formed  any  appropriate  solution. 

As  he  stirred  the  dark  substance  in  his  mug, he  contemplated  the  previous  event  with  mixed  emotions. He  had  imagined  all  sorts  of  events  occurring  in  the  near  future, but  it  had  never  struck  him  he  would  end  up  with  a  family, albeit  it  wasn't  a  legitimate  one. He  was  never  one  to  hang  around  in  bars  like  Duo  or  needing  escorts  every  now  and  then  to  prestigious  functions  like  Quatre  so  the  thought  of  producing  a  heir  had  never  occurred  to  him  before. But  it  had  and  surprisingly  he  liked  that  thought, seeing  as  he  had  never  had  a  real  family  to  begin  with. 

               He  took  a  small  sip  of  the  caffeine  filled  goodness  and  wondered  briefly  what  he  should  prepare  for  breakfast. His  thoughts  were  distracted  when  he  heard  a  rustle, followed  by  rapid  footsteps  echoing  on  his  tile  floors  that  ended  abruptly  by  the  sound  of  door  slamming. Trowa  managed  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  blur  rushing  past  him  as  he  stood  at  the  doorway  of  his  kitchen  with  his  mug  and  was  in  time  to  see  the  bathroom  door  slamming  shut. 

               "Minako?" Trowa  called  out  gently  as  he  rapped  the  door, figuring  as  much  what  was  occurring  behind  the  closed  door.

               He  received  a  barely  audible  answer  between  rustling  sounds  of  tap  water  flowing. "Yeah, I'm  alright."

               A  minute  later, a  rather  weary  and  seemingly  puzzled  Minako  walked  out. Her  face  was  flushed  from  throwing  up  and  damp  from  washing  but  all  in  all, Trowa  still   found  her  beautiful  and  irresistible. The  glow  that  usually  emanated  from  her  cheerful  nature  solidified  into  radiance  that  usually  came  from  an  expecting  mother. He  hid  a  smile  at  that  revelation, feeling  a  surge  of  pleasure  just  seeing  her  face  all  flushed  and  currently  blushing  in  embarrassment.

               "I  wish  you  didn't  have  to  see  that," she  muttered, suddenly  feeling  a  little  self  conscious  at  the  way  his  intense  stare  seemed  to  be  fixed  solely  at  her. Instinctively, she  made  an  attempt  to  straighten  any  strand  of  her  that  wasn't  in  place  while  dropping  her  gaze  to  the  floor.

               "How're  you  feeling?" he  asked  with  mild  concern  as  he  led  her  to  the  kitchen.

               "Still  nauseous, mind  you  but  a  little  better," Minako  answered  wearily, appearing  almost  as  though  she  had  used  up  all  her  strength. "That's  five  days  in  a  row, I  can  see  the  possibility  of  this  happening  more  often  now." She  let  out  a  wistful  sigh  as  she  added, "This  is  not  good."

               Trowa  lifted  an  eyebrow  in  bland  inquiry, though  seemingly  to  demand  what  possessed  her  to  view  such  a  gift  so  burdening  that  it  was  'not  good'. Minako  quickly  explained  when  she  noticed  he  seemed  to  expect  her  to  continue, "Well, I  have  classes  most  mornings  and  I  can't  possibly  concentrate  while  throwing  up  at  the  same  time. It's  hard  enough  waking  up  in  the  morning  without  Artemis  around  or  concentrating  in  class." 

               Understanding  dawned  across  his  features  as  he  nodded  thoughtfully. He  took  a  seat  across  from  her  at  the  table  after  fixing  her  some  warm  chocolate. 

"I  see. That  will  definitely  pose  as  a  problem. Perhaps  we  can  get  the  doctor  to  prescribe  you  something."

               Minako  took  the  drink  from  him  but  she  merely  stared  at  the  contents, swirling  the  mug  and  watching  the  liquid  tossing  from  one  side  to  another. When  she  finally  looked  up, Trowa  could  detect  the  concern  from  the  previous  night  in  her  eyes  and  it  ached  him  a  little  to  see  she  was  hesitant  about  the  matter, mostly  matters  that  concerned  the  baby's  well  being  at  least.

               "If  we're  planning  on  keeping  the  child, we  have  better  start  laying  out  some  ideas," Trowa  stated, sensing  the  topic  that  was  about  to  crop  up. 

               "Honestly, I'm  not  sure  how  this  will  work," Minako  admitted, preoccupied  in  her  own  thoughts of  the  matter  in  hand. 

               "I'll  take  care  of  the  financial  aspects, if  that's  what  bothers  you."

               Minako's  brows  drew  together  in  a  frown. That  partially  concerned  her, seeing  as  she  barely  have  any  support  from  her  parents  anymore. Besides  that, her  modeling  career  would  definitely  receive  a  huge  dent  if  this  piece  of  news  was  to  spread  and  the  worst  scenario  she  could  possibly  imagine  was  being  out  of  job  in  the  next  few  weeks, not  to  mention  the  endless  stares, snide  remarks  and  frowns  she  would  receive  from  society. However, that  realization  hardly  bothered  her  at  all. In  fact, she  was  more  worried  about  the  issue  where  her  friends  were  concerned. 

               Seemingly  to  reach  the  worrying  conclusion  and  sharing  the  same  revelation, Trowa  took  his  time  to  drain  his  mug  as  his  mind  reeled. It  had  occurred  to  him  the  possibility  of  her  losing  her  job  when  rumors  about  her  pregnancy  arose  and  he  did  feel  guilty  for  it, though  not  for  long. He  would  exonerate  himself  by  providing  her  with  everything  essential  for  a  baby  and  her  own  needs. However, it  did  not  occur  to  him  the  thought  of  marrying  her  at  this  stage  and  he  seriously  didn't  consider  Minako  would  reach  such  revelation  as  well. Yet  he  could  almost  easily  tell  from  her  uneasiness  and  the  awkward  silence  that  she  expected  more  than  just  financial  support. He  was  delighted  and  all  to  have  a  family  but  the  word  'marriage'  just  did  not  struck  him  appealing  in  this  state, not  when  it  was  based  on  emotionless  foundation  and  threaded  with  obligation. He  wasn't  certain  if  Minako  was  ready  for  any  of  that  anyway. She  needed  time  and  he  would  give  her  that, but  in  the  hopefully  brief  period, he  would  soften  her  heart  into  accepting  him.

               "I'm  afraid  you're  right," Minako  said  finally  with  an  embarrassed  smile. "I'm  definitely  going  to  have  to  depend  on  you  financial-wise. At  least  after  the  agency  fired  me  or  until  I  can  get  another  job  or  something, seeing  as  image  is  very  vital  for  a  teenage  model  and  if  that's  damage  by  controversial  gossips  as  this, I'm  bound  to  be  kicked  out  from  the  industry. Other  than  that, I'm  pretty  sure  I  can  deal  with."

               "You  don't  look  too  sure," Trowa  pointed  out, studying  her  thoughtfully.

               Minako  hesitated, then  chuckled  softly. "I  always  forgot  you  were  that  observant." She  grew  a  little  sober  after  that  and  her  smile  slowly  faded, "You're  right, I'm  still  a  little  doubtful  about  this  whole  thing. I'm  still  trying  to  get  used  to  the  gravity  of  the  situation  and  I've  yet  to  confide  to  my  friends  about  this. We've  always  thought  Usagi  would  be  the  first  one  to  have  a  child."

               "That's  predictable," Trowa  said  with  a  wry  smile, his  eyes  twinkling  in  amusement  at  the  similarity  of  his  position  with  his  friends. Among  the  five  of  them, he  was  the  last  person  they  would  suspect  to  enter  fatherhood  at  such  a  young  age. Actually, they  suspected  he  would  not  get  married  at  all, or  at  least  until  all  of  them  had  so  being  the  first  one  to  have  a  child  didn't  cross  their  minds  at  all. 

               Minako  giggled  as  she  envisioned  the  shock  and  stunned  looks  on  her  friends'  faces. "Yeah, she's  always  been  lavished  with  compliments  of  being  the  first  one  to  get  engaged  and  married, so  obviously  we  expected  her  to  be  the  first  one  to  have  a  kid." 

               Trowa  was  still  expecting  her  to  bring  their  marital  status  into  question  but  surprisingly  it  didn't  seem  to  occur  to  her  at  all  as  she  went  on, her  spirit  damped  just  slightly  now, "I'm  not  sure  if  the  girls  will  take  this  lightly, though. They'll  obviously  fuss  about  it, like  it's  such  a  big  deal.."

"It  is  a  big  deal."

               "I  don't  need  to  know  that," Minako  muttered, lowering  her  gaze  to  the  mug. Then, she  rested  a  hand  on  her  belly, as  though  trying  to  detect  any  sense  of  life  growing  in  her. Unknown  to  her, her  simple  gesture  seemed  so  much  intimate  to  Trowa  under  their  unusual  circumstances. Minako  seemed  to  be  in  daze  as  she  caressed  the  area  affectionately, distracted  in  her  own  thoughts. "It  still  feels  strange," she  said  finally. "Even  though  there's  hardly  any  evidence  of  the  baby, it  feels  so  different. I  don't  know  how  to  describe, it's  a  mixture  of  everything."

               "I'm  sure  it  will  take  awhile  to  adjust  to  those  feelings," Trowa  said, silently  enjoying  the  intimate  view. "Perhaps  it's  just  your  maternal  instincts. Cathy  went  through  the  same  thing  when  she  was  pregnant  with  the  twins  so  if  you  feel  the  need  to  ask  about  pregnancy, she'll  be  more  than  happy  to  help."

               Minako's  eyes  grew  dim  all  of  a  sudden  and  her  expression  saddened. She  drew  her  hand  from  her  belly  to  hold  the  mug. A  hint  of  dread  clearly  etched  in  her  features. For  a  moment, she  was  silent  and  Trowa  was  worried  she  was  having  second  thoughts  about  keeping  the  baby  until  she  finally  spoke  up, "I'm  not  sure  if  I'll  be  asking  anyone  about  pregnancy  anytime  soon. Obviously  I  can't  talk  to  my  parents  about  anything  anymore, and  my  friends." 

Much  to  Trowa's  surprise, her  eyes  suddenly  shimmered  with  tears  that  threatened  to  spill  and  she  sniffled  lightly  before  continuing, "My  only  closest  friends  are  all  over  the  world  now, they  have  everything  all  plan  out  ahead  of  them  and  I  suppose  they  have  gotten  their  lives  all  sorted  out. We  used  to  worry  about  what  the  future  holds, especially  with  our  duties  as  the  Senshi. I've  been  a  Senshi  since  I  was  thirteen, I  should  understand  better  about  the  pressure  and  burden  of  being  one. Back  then, I  worry  a  lot  about  my  own  life  because  it's  extremely  difficult  for  me  to  cope  with  school  and  all  but  the  girls  were  very  reassuring  and  I  thought  everything  will  be  alright  as  long  as  we  stick  together. But.but  now." A  tear  slowly  made  its  path  down  her  cheek  and  at  that  point, she  choke  back  a  sob  and  her  voice  broke, "But  now  they're  not  here.They  mean  so  much  to  me.and  they're  not  here..I'm  so  scare  and  I  need  them  so  badly  right  now..And  yet  I  don't  think  I  can  handle  it  if  they  react  like  my  parents did, Trowa.I  just  can't."

               Her  sentence  stopped  abruptly  as  a  sob  wracked  her  throat  and  her  hands  instinctively  went  to  her  eyes  as  tears  streamed  down  her  cheeks  like  clear  waterfall. Trowa's  gaze  softened  involuntarily, his  heart  wretched  at  the  sight  of  her  tears. Not  wanting  to  witness  her  pain  any  longer, he  took  hold  of  her  hands, caressing  them  and  kissed  those  loose  fists  lightly, catching  a  glimpse  of  her  eyes  widen  in  stunned  surprise. Satisfied  that  he  had  caught  her  attention, his  cool  green  eyes  probed  hers  in  a  way  that  seemed  to  mesmerize  her, making  certain  that  she  found  reassurance  of  his  honesty  and  feelings  in  his  gaze. 

               "You  won't  lose  close  friends  that  easily," he  soothed  her. The  faint  tug  at  the  corners  of  his  lips  offered  her  the  reassurance  she  needed. "If  you  know  them  as  well  as  you  think  you  do, you  shouldn't  be  afraid  of  how  they  will  react. And  as  for  the  future." Trowa  paused  to  wipe  a  lone  tear  from  her  face, his  thumb  lingering  in  the  area. "I'll  be  there  for  you  as  long  as  you  and  the  baby  need  me."

               "Trowa." she  murmured, seemingly  speechless  and  still  caught  by  his  rare  display  of  affection. 

               Trowa  merely  stared  at  her, giving  her  a  small  glimpse  of  him  that  she  had  never  seen  or  even  expected  from  him. Usually  he  would  mind  if  someone  tried  to  slink  into  his  deepest  emotions  which  he  kept  secured  behind  his  distant  behavior  but  at  this  moment, he  needed  her  to  know  how  much  he  cared  for  her  well  being  and  their  baby. 

They  were  quiet  for  a  long  moment, each  too  caught  up  with  their  own  thoughts  as  well  as  each  other's  displays  of  emotions. But  the  silence  was  soothing, the  air  lingered  with  genuine  emotions  and  rich  feelings  that  neither  had  ever  felt  before  from  each  other. Their  hands  still  clasped  together, seemingly  to  seal  unspoken  promises  for  the  future  that  only  their  hearts  communicated  and  their  eyes  exchanging  silent  messages  to  reassure  one  another, all  at  once  easing  the  burden  on  their  shoulders  and  doubts  that  still  lingered  in  their  minds. 

               Although  her  cheeks  were  still  damp  from  tears, Minako's  face  broke  into  a  sheepish  smile  and  she  chuckled  softly. Trowa  kept  the  wry  smile  on  his  face  and  pulled  back  his  hands. He  watched  as  the  colors  returned  to  her  face, silently  amazed  at  her  quick  change  of  mood. She's  definitely  a  handful, he  realized  in  amusement. Especially  with  the  new  incoming  batch  of  pregnancy  hormones.

               "You  know, you're  not  quite  as  emotionless  as  I  thought  you  were," Minako  replied  with  a  smile, then  her  voice  lowered  in  gratitude, "Thank  you. I'm  glad  I  can  rely  on  you."

               Trowa  reveled  at  that  appreciation  in  her  tone, loving  the  forlorn  look  in  her  eyes  when  she  looked  at  him. "I  am  actually  looking  forward  to  share  the  news  with  the  others," Trowa  admitted  after  a  moment. "But  I  see  that  you  still  need  time  to  accommodate."

               "No, it's  fine," Minako  answered  automatically  without  hesitance. "It  seems  fair  enough. I  told  my  parents  first  before  you  so  I  guess  it's  alright  if  you  want  to  tell  the  others. I  just  hope  they  won't  treat  us  any  differently  or  judge  us."

               Trowa  disliked  the  thought  of  his  friends  judging  him  so  easily  when  all  of  them  had, in  fact, being  dragged  into  the  same  ordeal  as  he  had  at  least  once. The  only  difference  was  neither  of  them  were  lucky  enough  to  wake  up  next  to  a  beautiful  angel. "It  can't  be  help, we  were  drunk.."

               "Which  made  it  even  worst."

               "From  Duo's  inconsiderate  habit  of  mixing  other  people's  drinks  without  their  knowing," Trowa  elaborated, emphasizing  each  word. "He's  involve  in  this  sort  of  scheme  all  the  time, we  highly  expected  something  like  this  would  be  a  result  from  his  mindless  games."

               "I  can't  argue  with  that," Minako  murmured  thoughtfully. "How  do  you  think  Duo  would  react?"

               "Does  it  really  matter?" Trowa  spoke  softly, although  he  understood  where  Duo  stand  in  this  issue. Still  he  didn't  feel  comfortable  talking  about  HER  past  relationship  with  one  of  his  close  friends, albeit  they  had  broken  up  almost  two  years  ago. 

Years  ago, Minako  had  always  made  it  apparent  that  she  had  an  interest  in  Trowa  and  chased  after  him  like  an  idol, worshipping  the  ground  he  walked  on  and  always  fighting  for  his  attention. Trowa  didn't  mind  being  the  object  of  her  desire  but  unlike  the  rest  of  her  crushes  or  some  would  say  'victims', he  didn't  give  her  any  indication  of  his  feelings  toward  her  obsession, treating  her  indifferently  as  he  always  had. Unknowingly  to  anyone, he  had  grown  fond  of  her  presence  and  enjoyed  her  company  as  much  as  his  friends'. He  always  anticipated  the  next  time  they  would  meet  and  tried  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  her  as  much  as  he  could. The  thought  of  asking  her  out  occurred  to  him  so  many  times  but  he  had  taken  too  long  to  step  up  and  make  the  first  move.

               So  he  was  not  exactly  surprise  when  she  shifted  her  interest  to  Duo, who  was  also  making  it  apparent  that  he  adored  her  to  the  extent  that  sickened  his  friends. Trowa  had  tried  to  make  an  effort  to  display  his  likings  toward  her  openly  in  spite  of  his  ignorance  in  the  particular  department  but  it  was  already  too  late. Her  affection  had  deteriorated  immensely  and  the  fact  that  he  was  sent  to  one  of  the  colonies  for  a  mission  at  that  time  had  made  it  even  worst  for  him. 

Six  months  later  when  he  returned, he  founded  out  she  was  already  seeing  Duo. Heartbroken, he nurtured  himself  with  endless  missions, absorbing  all  details  that  required  his  intervention  and  coming  up  with  several  projects  of  his  own. He  had  completely  withdrawn  himself  from  everyone, which  was  not  unusual  since  he  was  always  an  introvert  and  always  kept  everything  to  himself. His  relationship  with  Duo  did  not  strain, however. He  valued  their  friendship  more  than  anything  for  Duo  was  one  of  his  closest  friends  who  had  always  been  there  for  him. So  even  after  what  had  happened, he  couldn't  bring  himself  to  hate  Duo. Or  Minako, for  that  matter.

               Eventually  after  several  months, Minako  and  Duo  broke  up  due  to  personal  conflicts  that  neither  really  liked  to  discuss. They  still  remained  close  friends, though  and  sometimes  Trowa  viewed  their  'friendship'  to  be  somewhat  deeper  than  what  they  had  led  on. Even  so, Duo  had  went  out  on  a  string  of  dates  and  so  did  Minako  but  neither  was  attached  to  their  partners. As  of  yet. 

               Minako  hesitated  and  she  opened  her  mouth  to  say  something  but  seemed  to  change  her  mind. "No," she  conceded  weakly. "I  guess  not."

               "Are  you  expecting  something  from  him?" 

Minako's  eyes  widen  slightly  at  the  accusation  but  her  brief  reaction  was  enough  to  answer  his  question. Hiding  a  relent  sigh, Trowa  gave  her  a  wry  smile  to  conceal  his  disappointment  and  added, "It's  alright  if  you're  planning  on  getting  back  together. Just  because  we're  going  to  have  a  baby  doesn't  mean  it  has  to  come  between  you  and  your  future  relationship. Or  mine  either."

               Minako  looked  apparently  hurt  by  his  statement  and  in  that  instant, Trowa  doubted  his  perspective  but  he  didn't  take  it  back. Deep  inside, he  wanted  her  to  defy  him, deny  his  accusation  about  her  relationship  with  Duo  and  proved  the  inaccuracy  of  his  assumption. He  was  almost  desperate  to  know  there  was  a  possibility  something  could  work  out  between  them, something  that  could  even  lead  to.marriage. But  much  to  his  disappointment, she  lapsed  into  silence  immediately, seemingly  unable  to  speak  at  all. Noticing  her  reluctance  to  continue  the  conversation, Trowa  decided  to  ease  the  tension  with  a  rather  bizarre  question, "Is  there  anything  particular  you'd  like  for  breakfast?"

               Minako  jerked  her  head  toward  him, startled  at  the  quick  change  of  discussion. "Um, no," she  muttered, watching  him  as  he  stood  up  and  went  over  to  the  stove. "Anything  will  do."

               Trowa  nodded  and  proceed  to  make  them  some  sandwiches. He  knew  from  'experience'  she  loved  to  eat  and  since  she  was  pregnant  now, she  had  a  good  reason  to. So  he  mentally  made  a  list  of  food  to  serve  her  while  trying  to  ignore  the  aching  in  his  heart  from  the  previous  blow. 

               As  he  was  preparing  her  breakfast, Minako's  soft  tone  startled  him  out  of  his  reverie  and  prompted  his  body  to  stiffen, "Duo  has  been  giving  out  hints  that  he  wants  us  to  be  a  couple  again  and  I  was  just  wondering  if  he  has  ever  mention  anything  about  it  to  you." 

               "Not  that  I  know  of," Trowa  answered  truthfully, placing  a  plate  of  turkey  sandwiches  on  the  table. "Help  yourself. I  am  no  help  when  it  comes  to  relationship  so  he  seek  the  others  for  advice."

               "I'm  not  surprise," Minako  replied  with  a  teasing  smile. Trowa  felt  the  urge  to  smile  back  and  he  did, just  briefly  before  turning  his  back  to  attend  to  the  strips  of  bacon  that  were  currently  frying  in  the  pan. "Anyway, I  can't  tell  you  how  much  I  appreciate  your  effort  to  help  me  out, Trowa. It  means  a  lot  to  me."

               Again, Trowa  felt  his  heart  swelled  in  appreciation, although  he  could  sense  the  finality  in  the  previous  topic. He  remained  his  back  to  her  as  he  flipped  the  bacons. "It's  my  responsibility, too. I  can't  let  you  shoulder  the  burden  alone. Since  I  can't  really  be  there  with  you  where  you  are, you  can  call  me  anytime  if  you  need  anything  at  all."

               "Even  if  I  want  a  triple  flavored  ice  cream  at  two  in  the  morning?" Minako  teased, her  eyes  gleaming  in  mischief. 

               Trowa  finally  turned  to  face  her, a  plate  of  bacons  in  his  hand  and  chuckled  softly. "Even  if  it's  five  in  the  morning  and  I  had  just  came  back  from  the  HQ  after  a  long, tiring  day  and  all  you  want  is  a  bag  of  chips."

               Minako  giggled. Then, she  took  one  of  the  sandwiches, balanced  it  between  her  hands  and  examined  it, seemingly  to  be  admiring  his  'masterpiece'. "You  know, you  make  the  best  sandwich  in  the  world."

               Trowa  gave  her  a  skeptical  look  as  he  placed  the  bacon  on  the  table. "I  don't  recall  making  you  one  before."

               "No, but  Duo  and  Quatre  insist  that  you  do. I  heard  you've  shared  the  kitchen  with  Wufei  on  one  Thanksgiving  and  from  the  compliments  I  heard, both  of  you  are  total  chefs. But  Duo  said  between  you  and  Wufei, he'd  prefer  your  cooking  better  because  you  always  make  his  favorite  dish. Personally  I  think  he's  just  sick  of  Chinese  meals."

               Trowa  hid  a  smile, secretly  pleased  with  his  friends  compliments  but  what  really  mattered  to  him  was  Minako's  opinion  of  his  cooking. Once  Minako  took  a  bite, Trowa  casually  asked, "And  what  do  you  think?"

               Minako  smiled  and  she  was  about  to  answer  him  when  her  face  gradually  changed  into  one  of  uncertainty  as  she  chewed  more  slowly, as  though  reassuring  herself  of  what  she  was  eating. "Trowa," she  asked  between  her  bites. "What.what  is  inside  this  sandwich?"

               Trowa  noticed  her  change  of  reaction  and  hesitated  as  he  listed  the  ingredients, "Well, just  the  usual. Turkey, lettuce, tomato, pickles.."

               Minako's  gasp  was  muffled  by  the  chewed  food, her  hand  flew  to  her  cover  her  mouth  and  before  Trowa  could  react, she  rose  to  her  feet  in  alarm, toppling  her  chair  in  the  process  and  made  a  quick  dash  to  the  bathroom. 

Trowa  suppressed  a  chuckle  as  he  let  his  head  dropped  and  shook  in  amazement, unable  to  control  the  tug  at  the  corner  of  his  lips.

               After  breakfast, Trowa  sent  her  back  to  her  apartment  which  she  was  currently  sharing  with  one  of  her  classmates. They  had  an  agreement  to  keep  this  news  to  themselves  for  awhile  and  managed  to  discuss  most  of  the  significant  issues  regarding  their  unusual  situation. All  except  for  their  marital  status. 

Minako  wondered  briefly  if  Trowa  would  ever  bring  that  topic  up. Most  probably  never, she decided, recalling  back  Trowa's  words. Just  because  we're  going  to  have  a  baby  doesn't  mean  it  has  to  come  between  you  and  your  future  relationship. Or  mine  either. Those  words  sliced  her  heart  like  a  knife  as  it  diminished  all  her  hopes  of  starting  a  relationship  with  him. She  could  have  sworn  there  was  something  between  them  last  night, the  way  he  seemed  keen  enough  to  take  care  of  her  needs  and  somewhat, appeared  more  protective  than  necessary. She  could  still  feel  his  arms  around  her  and  throughout  the  night  after  that  when  he  came  to  'check  in'  on  her. 

Then, this  morning  he  treated  her  indifferently  as  though  nothing  had  happened  between  them  the  night  before. At  least  he  was  still  concerned  for  her  welfare, especially  when  he  kissed  her  hands  and  held  them  tightly  in  his  to  reassure  her  of  her  fears. Then  several  minutes  later, he  decided  their  situation  should  not  get  in  the  way  of  their  lives  and  instantly, she  could  feel  her  heart  breaking. Just  as  it  always  had  whenever  he  didn't  respond  to  her  flirtatious  attempts. However, this  time, her  heart  had  received  the  ultimate  blow  and  what  little  pieces  she  had  saved  for  him  were  crushed. 

Chuckling  bitterly, she  had  to  remember  what  sort  of  person  he  really  was  and  what  kind  of  person  he  would  have  preferred  to  spend  his  life  with. Certainly  not  with  an  underage, immature  twenty-year-old  who  happened  to  share  his  bed  when  he  was  drunk. 

Despite  her  disappointment, she  was  a  little  relief  to  know  where  she  truly  stand  in  his  life. That  way  it  wouldn't  give  her  any  reason  to  build  anymore  false  hope  which  later  on  would  threaten  their  friendship  if  it  didn't  work  out. So  eventually, she  accepted  his  decision. Truth  be  told, she  wasn't  certain  where  the  discussion  would  go  anyway  despite  the  fact  that  it  would  be  a  lot  easier  and  appropriate  if  they  just  got  married  and  produced  a  legitimate  heir. 

However, as  the  reincarnation  of  the  Goddess  and  Senshi  of  Love, she  refused  to  build  her  married  life  based  of  anything  other  than  love. And  their  current  relationship  was  built  by  anything  but  love. So  it  was  very  apparent  to  her  that  their  married  life  would  be  nothing  more  than  an  obligation  and  wouldn't  last  for  as  long  as  she  had  liked. Even  if  he  did  ask, Minako  knew  he  was  compelled  to  do  so  and  she  couldn't  be  too  certain  if  it  was  the  best  solution  both  of  them  could  come  up  with. 

Another  disturbing  thought  reveled  its  way  into  her  mind. Was  it  still  possible  for  her  to  find  someone  who  would  love  her  at  this  state? And  would  he  accept  her  child? What  if  Trowa  decided  to  get  married  and  his  girlfriend  didn't  want  him  to  spend  anymore  time  with  the  baby? Who  would  he  choose? Would  he  abandon  her  then? She  could  foresee  that  in  the  near  future  she  would  have  to  make  some  disturbing  decisions  herself  regarding  her  position  and  hopefully, she  won't  be  thrust  into  a  difficult  situation  where  she  was  forced  to  choose  between  something  or  someone  she  cared  about  and  the  baby, which  she  had  slowly  came  to  love.

               As  she  walked  down  the  corridor  to  her  apartment, Minako  hid  a  smile  as  she  recalled  back  those  times  when  she  used  to  chase  after  him  and  tugging  on  his  arm  like  a  child. It  had  struck  him  as  odd  and  Minako  could  tell  he  was  uneasy  with  her  boldness  at  first  but  he  had  never  ever  told  her  off  or  displayed  any  hint  of  dislike  towards  her. Either  he  was  too  polite  or  merely  bearing  her  because  she  was  Quatre's  distant  cousin, she  wasn't  certain  but  eventually  he  had  gotten  accustomed  to  her  behavior. After  many, many, many  fruitless  attempts  to  flirt  or  prompting  the  slightest  hint  of  a  meaningful  smile  from  him, Minako  decided  to  pursue  someone  else  for  a  change, seeing  as  Trowa  seemed  to  be  out  of  her  league  in  this  case. And  thus, began  her  endless  chase  for  true  love. To  which  she  hadn't  found  till  now.  

Instinctively, she  tugged  at  the  edge  of  the  sleeves  and  suddenly  remembered  she  was  wearing  another  one  of  Trowa's  shirt. She  could  smell  his  faint  cologne  and  her  body  reveled  in  the  feeling  of  wearing  something  that  used  to  covered  his  well-built  form. It  was  an  awkward  sensation  at  first, seeing  as  she  had  never  received  or  even  wore  anything  that  actually  belonged  to  a  guy. The  light  blue  button-up  shirt  which  he  had  lent  her  the  other  day  was  still  hung  in  her  closet and  she  had  meant  to  return  it  to  him  someday. However, now  she  wasn't  certain  if  she  was  still  planning  on  that  because  she  had  recently  discovered, she  loved  the  feel  of  a  guy's  shirt  wrapped  around  her  body. It  felt  so  soft  and  warm, like  being  wrapped  in  his  arms.Minako  mentally  shook  her  herself  off  such  thoughts, feeling  blood  rushed  to  her  face.

When  she  reached  her  apartment, Minako  pressed  the  bell, assuming  her  roommate  was  in  and  waited  several  seconds  before  the  door  opened  to  reveal  a  brunette  woman  in  her  early  twenties, garbed  in  nothing  more  than  a  bathrobe.

"Minako?" her  roommate  exclaimed  in  surprise  before  taking  a  step  back  to  let  her  enter. "You're  back  so  soon."

"Good  morning  to  you, too, Erica," Minako  replied  pleasantly  as  she  stepped  in. 

"I  thought  you're  staying  over  at  your  parents  till  tomorrow."

Minako  suppressed  a  sigh  as  she  threw  herself  onto  the  couch, suddenly  feeling  her  body  weighted  heavier  than  usual. "We  had  a  fight  about  something," she  mumbled, too  tired  to  even  recall  back  the  painful  memory. 

"So  you  stayed  over  at  a  guy's  place?" Erica  asked  teasingly  as  she  sat  cross-legged  across  from  Minako. 

Minako  felt  herself  blushed  when  Trowa's  face  suddenly  flashed  into  her  mind  and  she  made  a  half-hearted  attempt  to  cover  it  up. "No, I  slept  over  at  this  friend's  place  nearby  and  she."

"Don't  you  lie  to  me," Erica  interrupted, giving  her  playful  slap  on  her  arm. "That  shirt  tells  it  all, you  were  at  a  guy's  place." She  paused  to  draw  nearer  to  Minako  and  sniffed. "His  cologne  is  still  intact. And  oh, he  has  great  taste.Now  you've  never  tell  me  you  were  seeing  someone."

"I'm  not," Minako  insisted  weakly, although  the  blush  on  her  cheeks  deepened  into  crimson. "He's  really  just  a  friend  I  know  years  back. After  I  ran  out  of  my  parents  from  an  argument."

"Oh  my."

"I  happen  to  bump  into  him  and  he  offer  his  place  for  the  night  since  our  apartment  is  miles  away  and  the  rain  was  awful," Minako  finished  and  when  she  looked  at  Erica  who  was  staring  at  her  expectantly  with  a  grin  plastered  on  her  face, Minako  replied  indignantly, "We  didn't  do  anything, if  that's  what  you're  thinking!"

Her  statement  prompted  Erica  to  burst  into  bubbles  of  mirth. "Goodness, are  you  sure?"

"YES!" Minako  cried  exasperatedly, her  face  now  a  complete  shade  of  red. 

"Alright, whatever  you  say," Erica  quipped  between  her  giggles. 

Minako  was  about  to  say  something  in  defense  when  something  caught  her  attention  from  the  corner  of  her  eye. At  the  corner  of  the  room  where  Erica  had  placed  the  side  table, frames  of  all  sizes  were  placed  in  a  vertical  pattern  and  Minako  noticed  there  were  even  several  more  additional  ones  added  into  the  group, which  only  yesterday  were  lined  up  neatly  in  a  different  order. 

Other  new  items  had  also  magically  appeared. Such  as  the  'new'  recliner  situated  next  to  her, the  dull  and  worn  out  color  completely  contrasted  to  the  bright  living  room. There  were  also  several  unopened  moving  boxes  stacked  neatly  at  the  side. Minako's  eyes  darted  from  one  corner  to  another, taking  note  each  additional  items  that  were  never  in  the  apartment  before  yesterday. 

"Erica, what  have  you  done  to  the  place?" Minako  asked  in  puzzle. "Why  are  there  boxes  here? And  this  new  chair.Well, not  exactly  new  but  why  did  you  purchase  it  in  this  condition?"

Erica  suppressed  a  smile  and  bit  her  bottom  lip  before  motioning  her  head  towards  her  own  room. Minako  glanced  at the  closed  door  and  immediately  caught  her  point. "Alex?" Minako  inquired  incredulously  with  a  raised  eyebrow. "Again? God, he's  been  sleeping  over  for  at  least  four  times  a  week  now."

               "I  know," Erica  exclaimed  excitedly. "And  guess  what, he's  moving  in  with  us, isn't  that  great?"

After  sending  Minako  back  to  her  apartment, Trowa  simply  drove  around  the  city. Usually  on  weekends  he  would  visit  Catherine  and  her  adorable  three-year-old  twins  but  she  and  her  family  were  currently  traveling  with  the  circus  troupe  and  he  had  no  idea  which  colonies  were  they  performing. He  didn't  even  feel  like  sitting  in  his  apartment  or  even  dropping  by  at  the  headquarter  to  finish  up  the  rest  of  his  assignments. In  fact, he  didn't  feel  like  doing  anything  at  all  and  he  was  unusually  restless. He  kept  thinking  about  the  baby  and  each  time, he  was  overwhelmed  with  joy  and  anticipation. He  was  still  upset  knowing  that  Minako  would  never  accept  him  but  whatever  happened  in  the  future, nothing  would  change  the  fact  that  the  baby  was  still  half  his. At  least  that  thought  managed  to  console  him  and  ease  his  heartache  a  little. 

As  he  stopped  for  a  red  light, his  cell  phone  suddenly  rang. Assuming  it  was  from  the  headquarter, he  was  about  to  reject  the  call  until  Quatre's  name  appeared  on  the  screen. Unable  to  deny  his  friend  any  form  of  communication  which  they  hadn't  exchange  for  weeks, he  decided  to  answer. 

"Kat?"

"Trowa, hi!" the  cheerful  greeting  came  on  the  other  line. "How  are  you?"

"Good," Trowa  replied, concealing  a  smile. Ecstatic  actually, he  mentally  corrected  himself  as  Minako's  face  flashed  into  his  mind. As  much  as  he  was  tempted  to  share  the  wonderful  news  about  Minako's  pregnancy  to  his  friends, he  decided  against  the  idea, even  though  Minako  claimed  she  did  not  mind  adding  several  more  people  to  acknowledge  the  discovery. He  wanted  her  to  feel  entirely  certain  about  their  situation, allowing  her  some  time  alone  to  ease  her  doubts. Anyone  else's  interference  might  add  more  complication  and  pressure  to  her. "I  see  you're  back  from  Russia. How  was  your  trip?"

"Actually  I  came  back  late  last  night. The  trip  was  fine, nothing  to  get  too  excited  about. Listen, I  was  wondering  if  you  can  drop  by  for  lunch  today? I've  another  business  trip  in  two  days  and  I'm  not  sure  when  I'll  be  back. So  I  hope  to  see  you  guys  before  I  take  off  considering  we  haven't  talk  or  seen  each  other  for  weeks  already."

"The  others  are  back  already?" Trowa  paused  as  he  stepped  on  the  accelerator  as  soon  as  the  light  turned  green, balancing  the  phone  on  his  shoulder  while  his  hands  clutched  the  steering. "That  was  fast." 

"Well, you  know  how  efficient  Heero  and  Wufei  are. Duo's  looking  forward  to  see  Heero  for  some  reason  so  he's  coming  over  as  soon  as  he  get  his  chores  done. What  about  you?"

"I'll  be  there," Trowa  automatically  answered. "I  don't  have  any  plan  today  so  I'll  see  you  at  lunch." 

Next  chapter  :  

"Trowa  did  what?!" Wufei  cried  indignantly  and  in  disbelief  as  he  shifted  his  puzzled  gaze  to  Trowa. 

               "Chotto (Wait)," Quatre  intruded, trying  to  pry  Mr. Aino's  hands  from  Trowa's  shirt  collar. "W-what  did  he.I  mean, what  do  you  mean  he  took  advantage  of  Minako."

AN  :  Thank  you  again  to  those  of  you  who  review  and  given  me  some  pointers^^. Hope  this  chapter  isn't  moving  too  slow  and  hope  you  guys  like  it. And  by  the  way, to  answer  some  of  your  questions, the  pilots  knew  about  the  Senshi's  existence  and  that  later  on, will  cause  a  small  problem  between  Trowa  and  Minako. But  that'll  be  in  a  later  chapter. If  you  have  any  suggestion  on  how  the  story  should  move, please  don't  hesitate  to  share. Enjoy  and  please  review.^^ 


	3. chapter three

SWEET  BLISS 

By  :  angelofvenus_l3

                                                            **CHAPTER  THREE**

When  Trowa  arrived  at  the  Winner  mansion, he  was  immediately  greeted  by  Quatre's  head  butler  who  then  led  him  to  the  study  room  where  the  other  former  pilots, with  the  exception  of  Duo, occupied. When  Trowa  entered  the  room, he  noticed  there  were  several  wine  glasses  and  an  unopened  champagne  bottle  in  a  bucket  of  ice  on  the  coffee  table  where  his  friends  were  gathered. As  he  mentally  made  a  vow  to  walk  out  of  this  room  as  sober  as  possible, Quatre's  face  broke  into  a  wider  smile  as  he  stood  up  to  greet  him. The  others  joint  suit  but  less  enthusiastic, of  course. 

They  exchanged  brief  pleasantries  and  later  the  conversation  led  to  the  issues  regarding  the  headquarters  current  investigations. Quatre  wasn't  exactly  a  member  of  the  Preventer  but  he  served  under  them  just  the  same  only  when  his  intervention  was  needed  and  was  also  considered  as  one  of  the most   reliable  people  to  complete  an  impossible  task. The  heated  discussion  soon  took  a  different  course  when  Quatre  suddenly  brought  up  Heero's  engagement. 

"So, have  you  and  Relena  set  a  date  yet?" Quatre  asked  with  grin.

Heero  appeared  nonchalant  toward  the  subject, though  a  small  yet  unmistakably  a  smile  was  evident. "Yes. We're  getting  married  in  a  month."

"A  month?" Quatre  echoed  in  amusement. "Wow, that's  earlier  than  expected."

"Quite  expected, actually," Trowa  put  in. "From  the  rate  both  of  them  are  going, it  surprises  me  that  they're  merely  engaged."

"I  have  to  admit, I  did  not  expect  your  engagement  would  ever  happen," Wufei  simply  stated. Seeing  that  Heero's  eyes  had  suddenly  narrowed  to  slits, Wufei  quickly  continued  with  a  shrug, "But  it  had. So  it  does  not  matter  why  I  think  so. Anyway, my  heartiest  felicitation  to  you  and  your  fiancée. I  do  hope  that  you  will  notify  any  upcoming  gatherings  in  advance. I  do  not  appreciate  last  minute  conduct. It  is  much  too  often  I  receive  invitations  that  require  my  presence  in  a  few  days, especially  when  it  is  organize  by  a  certain  pilot  friend  of  ours. But  I've  decided  to  make  an  exception  for  him, though." He  grimaced  and  added, "Due  to  several  bitter  experiences  which  I  rather  not  mention, I  have  learn  a  long  time  ago  not  to  accept  any  invitations  or  offers  where  he  is  concern."

Heero  grunted. "And  somehow  you  still  manage  to  end  up  there. Not  to  mention, drunk  and  was  actually  participating  in  one  of  his  crazy  antics."

"In  my  defense, I  was  drunk!" Wufei  cried, scowling. "I  was  conned  into  one  of  his  drinking  games  and  don't  you  dare  judge  me. You  all  were  drunk, too."

"I  think  if  Duo  ever  decide  to  have  one  of  his  grand  parties, I  doubt  you'll  be  able  to  miss  it," Quatre  pointed  out  to Wufei, snickering. "Not  when  he  lives  across  the  hall  in  your  building." 

"So  are  we  invited  then?" Trowa  inquired, regarding  Heero  with  a  wry  smile.

Heero  smirked. "Of  course. I've  been  to  enough  weddings  to  know  that  any  firearms  aren't  exactly  appropriate  for  matrimonial  ceremony. So  I  need  you  guys  there  to  hold  him  back  from  giving  his  humiliating  best  man  speech."

"Duo's  the  best  man?" Quatre  cried  incredulously  with  a  laugh. "If  I  recall  correctly, you  wanted  to  relinquish  all  your  decisions  of  the  wedding  to  Relena, which  includes  the  privilege  of  picking  the  best  man. What  change  your  mind?"

Heero  scowled. "He  did, obviously. He's  been  very  persuasive  ever  since  he  accidentally  received  the  news  by  email  which  Relena  had  sent  for  Hilde. It  wouldn't  be  such  a  torture  if  he  hadn't  plead  me  over  the  phone  continuously  for  the  next  three  days  and  then, jamming  my  laptop  with  his  emails  while  I  was  in  outer  space. I, however, didn't  intend  to  share  the  news  with  anyone  until  the  invitations  are  being  sent  out."

"I  thought  you've  already  sent  them  out," Trowa  retorted, looking  at  him  skeptically. "Duo  was  shoving  one  to  my  face  the  other  day…"

               Heero  looked  puzzle  at  first, then  realization  dawned  across  his  features  and  he  muttered  in  annoyance, "That  fool  must  have  stolen  some  copies  from  the  apartment…" 

               "Speaking  of  the  devil, where  is  he  anyway?" Wufei  demanded  with  a  scowl, peering  momentarily  out  the  window. "Shouldn't  he  be  here  by  now? It  is  quite  rude  to  leave  the  host  waiting  this  long  without  any  excuse  to  support  his  tardiness."

               Quatre  glanced  at  his  wristwatch, then  rose  to  his  feet  and  headed  to  his  desk. "I  suppose  you're  right. He  mention  something  about  picking  up  his  car  from  the  shop  but  it  shouldn't  take  him  that  long. I'll  give  him  a  call…"

               Suddenly, muffled  voices  raised  from  the  door, seemingly  to  be  in  a  heated  argument  and  just  when  the  pilots  exchanged  glances  with  one  another, the  double  oak  doors  burst  opened  to  reveal  a  man  in  his  late  fifties, glaring  angrily  straight  at  Quatre  since  he  was  in  the  perfect  line  of  his  vision. The  other  three  pilots  jerked  their  heads  toward  the  new  visitor  and  shared  a  questioning  look.

               "Master  Quatre," Quatre's  head  butler  suddenly  exclaimed  as  he  pushed  past  the  angry  man  and  bowed  apologetically  to  his  employer. "Forgive  me, I  told  this  gentleman  you  were  in  the  midst  of  entertaining  your  friends  but  he  refuse  to  leave  until  you  see  to  him…"

               "It's  alright," Quatre  told  him, already  preoccupied  with  the  sudden  appearance  of  this  elder  man. "He's  my  uncle." 

After  he  dismissed  the  butler, Quatre  calmly  returned  his  attention  back  to  Mr. Aino. However, when  he  finally  got  a  good  look  of  the  elder  man, Quatre  instantly  shrunk  back  from  the  his  angry  glare. He  had  never  seen  his  uncle  this  angry  before  and  he  had  a  dreaded  feeling  he  was  the  cause  of this  man's  rage. Which  was  odd, since  he  hadn't  been  in  contact  with  his  uncle  for  years. 

For  a  former  Gundam  pilot  and  a  powerful  politician, he  was  actually  afraid  of  Minako's  father. His  uncle  had  been  rather  strict  with  Minako's  upbringing, although  that  didn't  stop  her  from  sneaking  out  at  night  or  playing  outrageous  pranks. However, among  all  of  Minako's  friends, Duo  had  been  the  most  afraid  of  that  man. He  had  dated  Minako  for  a  few  months  back  then  and  within  that  period, Mr. Aino  had  warned  him  the  outcome  of  disobeying  his  rules  that  he  established  upon  seeing  his  daughter(which  was  not  to  have  any  single  contact  with  Minako). Mr. Aino's  glare  alone  would  have  done  Heero  proud, much  less  his  'threats'. So  when  their  relationship  didn't  work  out, Duo  had  been  in  hiding  from  her  father  ever  since, believing  immensely  that  Mr. Aino  was  looking  for  him, although  it  was  Minako  who  decided  to  end  the  relationship.

               Trowa  was  equally  shock  to  find  Minako's  father  there. Suddenly, his  chest  was  heavy  with  dread  because  he  knew  why  the  elder  man  was  here. Drawing  a  steady  breath, he  braced  himself, preparing  for  the  worst  and  the  inevitable. It  was  understandable  enough, he  deserved  the  wrath  this  man  was  about  to  unleash  upon  him, although  the  timing  could  have  been  better. Much, much  better.

               "Mr. Aino," Quatre  stammered, swallowing  the  lump  in  his  throat  as  he  tried  to  speak  with  his  usual  ease  and  dignified  tone, "I-I  have  not  seen  you  here  for  awhile …Is  there  a  reason  for  this  unexpected  visit?"

               "A  reason?!" Mr. Aino  bellowed  incredulously  as  he  stalked  over  to  Quatre  and  towering  over  the  blonde  man. "I  never  step  foot  on  this  mansion  without  a  reason!! How  dare  you! Allowing  my  daughter  to  drink  and  party  here  with  the  rest  of  your  guests  without  regards  to …." He  paused  when  he  detected  a  movement  at  the  corner  and  when  he  finally  realized  of  Trowa's  presence, his  face  became  full  of  rage  and  disgust. 

"You!!" he  cried  in  outrage  before  stomping  towards  Trowa  who  had  immediately  rose  to  his  feet. "You  are  the  reason  why  her  future's  ruin! It's  all  your  fault! Do  you  actually  realize  what  you  have  done?! Taking  advantage  of  an  underage  girl  while  she  was  drunk, it's  preposterous! I  ought  to  kill  you!!" He  emphasized  his  threat  by  grabbing  Trowa's  front  shirt  and  shook  the  young  man  vigorously. 

 "Trowa  did  what?!" Wufei  cried  indignantly  and  in  disbelief  as  he  shifted  his  puzzled  gaze  to  Trowa.  

               "Chotto (wait)," Quatre  intruded, trying  to  pry  Mr. Aino's  hands  from  Trowa's  shirt  collar. "W-what  did  he  .…I  mean, what  do  you  mean  he  took  advantage  of  Minako  ..…"

               Mr. Aino  had  his  eyes  fixed  intensely  at  Trowa  alone  that  he  didn't  seem  to  hear  Quatre's  plead  or  even  noticed  the  others'  presences. Or  anything  else, for  that  matter. "It  is  your  recklessness  that  led  her  to  this!! She's  already  facing  enough  problems  on  her  own  and  now  she's  pregnant  because  of  you!! Our  reputation  will  be  ruined  because  of  you, you  impudent  little  punk!!"

               Quatre's  eyes  went  wide  with  shock  and  he  backed  away  in  alarm. "M-Minako's  pregnant?" Then, horrified, he  turned  to  Trowa  and  demanded, "Trowa, is  this  true?"

               Trowa  only  managed  a  helpless  glance  at  Quatre  but  he  made  no  attempt  to  answer, which  led  Quatre  to  stagger  back  in  bafflement. 

               "Of  course  it's  true!!" Mr. Aino  cried  incredulously. "It's  your  bloody  fault  that  got  her  into  this  mess! My  daughter's  pregnant  at  this  age  and  she  barely  even  have  her  life  sorted  out! Having  a  baby  out  of  wedlock  is  unacceptable, everyone  knows  that!! Now, people  will  treat  her  with  contempt  and  our  whole  reputation  will  be  tarnished  because  of  this!! I  strictly  told  all  of  you  to  keep  away  from  my  daughter, now  look  what  happen!!"

               "Wait, I  don't  understand," Quatre  interrupted  in  helpless  confusion, his  gaze  shifting  back  and  forth  between  the  two  men. "Trowa  would  never  do  such  a  thing, and  neither  would  Minako. How  did  this  happen?" 

               His  statement  seemed  to  infuriate  the  man even  further  and  Quatre  stopped  abruptly  when  Mr. Aino  shifted  his  glare  to  him. "Quatre," Mr. Aino  began  in  a  deadly  soft  voice. "When  I  allow  my  twenty  year-old  daughter  to  attend  one  of  your  banquets, I  expect  you  to  take  care  of  her  and  especially  keep  her  away  from…" He  tossed  a  disgusted  look  to  the  other  three  occupants  in  the  room  and  spat, "…these  people  you  call  friends." Then, his  voice  rose  to  a  higher  octave  that  caused  Quatre  to  flinch. "But  you  heard, escort  my  daughter, let  her  wander  about  for  a  drink  or  two  and  get  her  into  bed  with  him!!" 

To  emphasize  his  anger, he  shove  Trowa  back  roughly, scowling as  he  watched  the  young  pilot  calmly  regaining  his  composure, his  expression  cool  and  unfazed, which  infuriated  the  elder  man even  more  at  Trowa's  lack  of  empathy.

Silence  reigned  in  the  room  as  the  occupants  stared  at  the  two  figures  facing  each  other. While  staring  face-to-face  with  the  angry  man, Trowa  had  considered  defending  himself  for  his  'misguided'  action  but  when  he  viewed  the  situation  from  another  angle, there  was  no  excuse  strong  enough  to  support  his  behavior. 

Mr. Aino  closed  his  eyes  momentarily  to  collect  himself  and  drew  in  an  unsteady  breath, as  though  regretting  his  previous  actions  for  not  handling  the  situation  well  enough. He  could  have  deal  with  this  better  if  he  hadn't  let  his  anger  controlled  him. Although  that  discovery  didn't  console  him  whatsoever  or  even  ease  the  growing  apprehension  he  felt  for  his  daughter's  future. 

Forcing  himself  to  calm  down, he  spoke  to  Trowa  with  a  tone  that  was  carefully  controlled  to  ease  the  resentment  in  it, "I  am  not  certain  whether  you  have  spoken  to  her  about  her  future  in  this  state, but  I  gather  you  already  know  of  her  pregnancy  and  being  an  intelligent  pilot  that  you  are, the  outcomes  should  have  crossed  your  mind. This  burden  of  carrying  a  child  will  be  too  heavy  for  her  to  handle, and  I  honestly  think  neither  of  you  are  ready  for  it. You  may  be  an  experienced  soldier  but  I  seriously  doubt  you  are  educated  in  the  matters  of  raising  a  family, especially  when  you  never  even  have  one  to begin  with." Trowa  features  hardened  into  granite at  that  remark  and  Mr. Aino  added  gravely, "So  I  hope  that  you  will  come  to  realize  that  soon  enough  and  make  certain  that  she  get  rid  of  the  baby  before  it's  too  late."

               Trowa  narrowed  his  eyes  to  slits, feeling  his  own  rage  building  at  such  ludicrous   suggestion. "I  will  do  no  such  thing."

               "I  don't  suppose  you  are  satisfy  with  merely  an  order," Mr. Aino  commented  scathingly. "The  average  pay  of  a  Preventer  barely  comes  any  higher  than  the  minimal  amount  of  the  staffs  in  my  company  earn. How  much  are  you  after? A  million? Ten  million?"

               Trowa  clenched  his  fists  so  hard  that  his  knuckles  turned  white. Still, he  kept  his  anger  under  control. Chances  of  facing  life  imprisonment  or  worst, a  possible  death  sentence  was  very  high  if  Mr. Aino's  mangled  body  was  found. Not  to  mention  losing  child  custody  and  the  possibility  of  Minako  refusing  to  speak  to  him  for  as  long  as  he  lived (which  shouldn't  be  long  at  that  stage). Besides, there  were  too  many   witnesses  in  this  room  and  he  doubted  he  could  take  each  and  everyone  of  them  down. Except  maybe  for  Quatre  but  it  would  undoubtedly  leave  him  at  disadvantage  if  these  three  decided  to  team  up (not  that  he  seriously  considered  taking  them  down  but  at  least  he  had  other  options).

"I  care  a  great  deal  of  your  daughter  more  than  what  you  have  in  mind," Trowa  told  him  calmly. "At  least  one  of  us  does. She  is, after  all, no  longer  your  concern."

               "I  hope  you  will  consider  your  choice  of  words  better  next  time, Barton," Mr. Aino  persisted  in  a  warning  tone  as  his  eyes  blazed  with  contempt. "Especially  if  you  wish  to  justify  your  inappropriate  behavior  with  an  underage  student."

               "There's  nothing  I  can  do, much  less  say  that  will  justify  the  consequences, except  that  I  take  full  responsibility  as  the  father  to  our  child," Trowa  said  with  conviction. "Which  I  intend  to  do, especially  now  when  she's  abandoned  by  her  own  set  of  family." 

               Mr. Aino's  jaw  clenched  and  Trowa  could  tell  this  man  was  also  fighting  to  control  his  rage. However, unlike  the  rest  of  Minako's  boyfriends  who  cowered  at  the  very  thought  of  facing  her  father, Trowa  appeared  to  extend  a  silent  yet  eloquent  challenge  to  this  strict  and  cold  man. 

Quatre, sensing  the  inevitable  that  would  ensue  in  his  study  room, made  an  attempt  to  ease  the  growing  tension  in  the  air. "Please, I'm  sure  we  can  come  up  with  a  perfect  solution  to  remedy …"

"We  already  have  a  solution," Trowa  insisted  with  a  hint  of  impatience. 

Ignoring  Trowa, Quatre  persisted  with  cool  dignity  that  stemmed  from  his  pacifist  nature, "Mr. Aino, as  a  high  profile  entrepreneur  with  many  impressive  conquests, you  are  well  aware  that  a  reputation  is  very  vital  in  the  business  world. If  news  about  Minako's  abortion  reach  the  press, for  obvious  reasons, it  will  not  look  entirely  pleasing  on  your  part. Why  not  simply  allow  Trowa  to  take  responsibility  for  his  action? After  all, he  has  known  Minako  for  years …Not  that  he  had  spent  that  much  time  with  her," Quatre  quickly  added  when  Mr. Aino's  features  hardened  in  disapproval. "But  they're  well  acquainted, which  is  very  imperative  at  this  point  of  time, even  more  so  once  they  are  married. Taking  into  consideration  of  both  Minako  and  your  status, this  will  undoubtedly  be  an  issue  but  the  solution  is  appropriate  and  most  suitable  in  this  state, provided  no  one  reveal  more  than  necessary  to  the  public. Besides, many  couples  are  married  while  they  are  still  carrying  their  babies, this  situation  will  be  no  different …"

Trowa's  eyes  widen  briefly  in  alarm  at  Quatre's  conclusion  and  much  to  his  dismay, Mr. Aino  seemed  to  consider  that  idea  as  well. However, before  he  could  stop  himself, he  blurted  out  the  first  thing  that  came  to  his  mind, "I  didn't  say  I  agree  to  marry  her …" 

               Quatre's  calm  demeanor  gave  way  into  confusion. "What?" he  demanded  quietly, this  time  facing  Trowa. Forcing  out  a  nervous  chuckle, he  added, "You're  joking, right? You  said  you'll  take  responsibility  as  the  father."

               "That's  right, as  the  father," Trowa  confirmed  grimly. "Not  as  her  husband." 

               For  a  moment  there, Quatre  seemed  to have  difficulty  finding  the  right  words  to  express  his  bafflement. Glancing  helplessly  at  the  other  two  silent  pilots  at  the  corner  for  some  sign  of  comfort  or  reassurance, they  appeared  indifferent  towards  the  issue, except  for  the  glimmer  of  interest  and  mild  curiosity  reflected  in  their  eyes. They, of  course, didn't  intend  to  interfere  in  this  private  issue.

               "Why  not, Barton?!" Mr. Aino  yelled, now  completely  furious  as  he  shove  Quatre  aside. "You  have  two  options  here  and  you've  already  eliminated  one. I  may  not  find  this  marriage  appealing  under  these  circumstances  but  you  are  not  getting  away  that  easily  by  feeding  her  empty  promises!!"

               "I  did  not  feed  her  empty  promises," Trowa  snapped  back, irritated  with  the  false  accusations  he  had  been  receiving  since  fifteen  minutes  ago. "Mr. Aino, I  can't  bring  this  matter  up  yet, as  she  seems  to  be  needing  more  time  to  adjust  herself  in  her  current  state  of  pregnancy. But  if  she  agrees  to  this  marriage, then  I'll  go  through  with  it."

               "Well, the  way  I  see  it, it's  either  that," Mr. Aino  retorted  flatly. "Or  an  abortion. Do  what  you  want, just  as  long  as  this  doesn't  get  to  the  press."

Trowa  knew  this  was  the  finality  of  the  discussion, because  no  matter  how  they  presented  their  arguments, the  outcomes  would  remain  the  same. Legitimate  or  not, Trowa  was  determined  to  raise  the  baby  and  Mr. Aino  could  do  only  so  much  to  influence  Minako's  decision. Their  decision.

Turning  away, Mr. Aino  walked  swiftly  to  the  door  and  stopped  abruptly  when  his  hand  grasped  the  doorknob. For  a  moment  there, he  didn't  seem  to  move  and  neither  did  the  pilots  as  they  waited  for  some  sort  of  reaction  from  the  elder  blonde  man. 

Gripping  the  doorknob  tightly  until  his  fist  shook, Mr. Aino  said  quietly  without  turning  his  back, "See  to  it  that  her  future  is  well  taken  care  of." His  voice  then  trembled  as  he  added, "Please."

That  last  word  was  a  silent  plea  from  a  helpless  father  who  was  thrust  into  a  position  where  he  was  no  longer  in  control  of  his  daughter's  life. Despite  his  concern  for  his  reputation  and  the  effect  it  would  have  on  his  empire, Mr. Aino  cared  more  about  Minako  than  he  had  led  on. The  fact  that  he  had  failed  to  influence  Minako's  choice  of  lifestyle  was  a  failure  on  his  part  and  he  blamed  it  solely  on  his  negligence  towards  his  role  as  a  father. To  make  matters  worst, Minako's  own  rebellious  nature  had  challenged  his  patience  and  drove  him  to  the  edge  where  eventually, he  was  forced  to  let  her  go. They  had  so  many  meaningless  arguments  and  he  had  lost  more  than  he  cared  to  admit, but  the  fact  remained  that  she  was  the  price  and  he  had  already  lost  her  a  long  time  ago. 

So  the  only  thing  he  could  hold  onto  now  was  his  pride. And  he  was  not  going  to  lose  that, even  if  it  meant  he  had  to  watch  someone  else  took  over  his  role.

               After  the  door  slammed  shut  behind  him, Quatre  waited  ten  seconds  before  his  calm  façade  cracked  and  immediately  pounced  on  Trowa "Trowa, how  did  you  get  Minako  pregnant?"

               Trowa  sighed  helplessly. He  was  getting  very  tired  of  receiving  the  same  accusing  look  and  explaining  himself  over  and  over  again. "Naturally, it  takes  two  persons  to …."

               "Not  that!" Quatre  cried  in  impatience despite  the  faint  blush  coloring  his cheeks, then  he  stammered  in  confusion, "I  mean, how …. Why  did  you …I  mean, both  of  you …." There  were  too  many  questions  swarming  his  head  right  now  but  instead, he  had  to  settle  with  a  very  concise  yet  seemingly  insignificant  one, "When  did  this  happen?"

               Trowa  looked  thoughtful  for  a  minute. "Well, do  you  remember  that  party  when  you  found  that  snake  in  your  bed, courtesy  of  Duo's  uninvited  guests?" 

               Quatre's  eyes  shot  up  in  alarm, his  expression  crestfallen. "That  party?"

               "No, it  was  the  party  the  following  week," Trowa  explained  sheepishly  at  his  lacked  of  description. "I  fail  to  recall  the  reason  why  you  had  that  one …." 

               "Ah, yes, I  remember  that  party, I  think  that  was  the  first  time  I  saw  you  that  drunk," Wufei  pointed  out  ever  so  'helpfully'. "I'm  quite  impress  you  are  still  able  to  show  up  for  work  the  next  day. You  were  forty  five  minutes  late, though."

That  was  the  amount  of  time  it  took  for  him  to  reassure  Minako  that  everything  would  be  fine  between  them. And  to  remind  her  that  both  of  them  were  late  for  their  engagements  on  that  day. 

He  had  learnt  a  long  time  ago  that  everything  came  with  a  price, especially  after  spending  a  wonderful  night  entangling  himself  between  the  blanket  and  a  woman  in  a  drunken  stupor. The  morning  after  was  painful  for  his  head  and  the  awkwardness  between  him  and  his  partner  was  nerve-wracking  but  it  was  worth  it. To  him, at  least. Despite  the  fact  that  he  had  suffered  a  splitting  headache  that  morning  and  his  only  'deliverance'  was  at  least  three  cups  of  coffee  and  some  aspirins  to  prepare  him  for  the  meeting  with  Lady  Une (which  he  arrived  fifteen  minutes  late  but  since  it  was  his  first  offence, Lady Une  decided  to  let  him  off  with  a  warning), he  had  surprisingly  pulled  it  off  quite  well. He  sneaked  back  home  after  that.

 "Well, I  suppose  you  all  are  wondering  what  exactly  happened …" 

"Not  really," Heero  said. "Most  of  the  details  have  explained  itself."

 "We  better  keep  this  champagne  away  from  his  vicinity," Wufei  told  Heero  in  an  unusually  lighthearted  tone, motioning  his  head  towards  the  unopened  bottle  on  the  table. "We  wouldn't  want  any  angry  fathers  to  come  storming  into  the  room  and  demand  that  one  of  us  take  responsibility  for  their  pregnant  daughters."

               Narrowing  his  eyes  in  annoyance  but  still  keeping  his  bewildering  emotions  under  control, Trowa  managed  to  reply  in  a  grim  voice, "You  know, Wufei, I  think  Duo's  finally  rubbing  in  on  you." 

               "I  should  say  the  same  for  you  then," came  the  swift  and  impassive  remark. "Seeing  as  how  you  got  yourself  into  this  mess  in  the  first  place."

               Heero  glanced  at  Trowa. "I  know  it's  not  any  of  our  business  but  what  do  you  plan  to  do  about  this? Are  you  affirmative  with  your  decision? To  raise  the  baby?"

               "Yes. We've  already  agreed  that  Minako  will  carry  the  baby  while  I  settle  the  financial  aspects."

               Wufei  snorted. "You  make  it  sound  so  easy. Are  you  sure  you  have  everything  sorted  out?"

               Trowa  shrugged. "Technically, I  have. It  should  be  enough  to  ensure  her  confidence  about  going  through  it  for  the  next  eight  months. She's  still  trying  to  adjust  herself  and  I  do  not  want  anything  to  jeopardize  her  willingness  to  have  the  baby. Until  she's  entirely  sure  of  herself, I  refuse  to  discuss  the  details  regarding  the  aftermath  of  the  birth."

               "But  that's  the  most  significant  area  of  the  discussion," Quatre  suddenly  persisted, drawing  the  others'  attentions  back  to  him. "Are  you  actually  aware  the  difficulty  of  raising  a  baby? When  you  first  started  babysitting  Catherine's  kids, you  put  on  their  diapers  upside  down  and  you  completely  ruined  the  formulas."

"Alright, I  admit  it  was  a  grave  mistake  on  my  part  on  the  formulas," Trowa said  indignantly. "But  it  was  Duo  who  was  in  charge  of  putting  the  diapers."

A  puzzled  look  crossed  Quatre's  features  briefly  but  he  wasn't  about  to  give  up  and  hastily  pointed  out, "Well, it  took  you  almost  an  hour  to  get  the  babies  to  stop  crying." 

               "Weren't  you  the  one  who  provoke  it  with  that  Halloween  mask  you  bought  to  scare  Trowa?" Wufei  interrupted  with  a  frown. 

               "That  was  a  miserable  attempt," Heero  reminded  him, his  eyes  twinkling  in  good  humor  at  the  memory. "And  Trowa  wasn't  even  in  the  room."

               "How  was  I  suppose  to  know  he  was  taking  care  of  the  twins  at  that  time? I've  been  traveling  from  one  colony  to  another  for  weeks, you  have  to  tell  me  these  things!" Quatre  exclaimed  in  defense, seemingly  about  to  cry. And  combined  with  current  matter  in  hand, he  was  at  the  verge  of  hyperventilating. "But  how  can  you  take  this  lightly? This  is  my  cousin  we're  talking  about. I  suspect  that  something  like  this  would  happen  in  the  future  with  Duo  but  I  never  seriously  consider  the  possibility  of  it  happening. And  ironically  enough, Duo  wasn't  even  involve  in  this  in  the  first  place."  

               "Kat, calm  down…"

               "I  am  calm!" Quatre  insisted  stubbornly. Trowa  winced  at  his  shrill  tone, immediately  regretting  his  lame  attempt  to  console  his  friend. Quatre  was  actually  a  very  gentle  and  understanding  person  but  when  his  best  friend  had  crossed  the  boundary  by  sleeping  with  his  cousin  whose  relationship  with  the  blonde  man  could  be  deemed  as  brotherly, it  was  understandable  enough  that  he  was  clouded  with  disbelief  and  rage, although  he  made  a  lousy  attempt  to  hide  it. "I'm  just  worry  about  Minako's  condition. I  have  the  right, I  am  her  cousin, after  all. But  I  just  find  it  hard  to  believe  it  happened  at  my  party ….Hold  that  thought, I  find  it  hard  to  believe  it  even  happened, especially  with  one  of  my  close  friends. She's  so  young, she  has  so  many  things  to  look  forward  to …." He  was  pacing  back  and  forth  across  the  room  now  and  his  arms  were  furiously  gesturing  and  waving  about  as  he  spoke. It  wasn't  like  Quatre  to  behave  with  such  vigorousness  and  this  was  beginning  to  disturb  Trowa  a  little. "Of  course, I  blame  myself  for  this. After  all, I  was  the  one  hosting  an  illegal  party  flooding  with  alcoholic  beverages  of  all  sorts …."

As  Quatre  continued  to  babble  incoherently  about  the  situation, Wufei  leaned  towards  Trowa  and  whispered, "Wasn't  it  a  private  banquet  with  very  small  amount  of  champagne?" 

               Trowa  nodded  quietly. "Yes, but  I  think  in  his  state  of  mind  right  now, that  comes  very  close  to  binge  drinking."

               "Good  thing  he  didn't  know  about  Duo's  five  crates  of  wine  and  vodka…" Trowa  and  Heero  agreed  immensely.

               "…. I  knew  I  should  have  at  least  make  sure  she  goes  home  safely, even  in  her  drunken  state. Oh  god, I  cannot  forgive  myself  for  this. It's  all  the  result  of  a  silly  party  which  I  didn't  want  to  conduct  in  the  first  place! This  is  what  you  get  for  ignoring  your  instinct! Now  that  I  think  about  it, half  of  my  guests  went  back  home  drunk …. To  think  I  blamed  it  on  the  caterers. Poor  Minako, I  can't  forgive  myself  for  this. She's  too  young …..It's  all  my  fault, it  shouldn't  have  happened …." 

               "Kat, it's  not  your  fault," Heero  consoled  with  heavy  reluctance  as  he  wasn't  exactly  used  to  comfort  people. "You  weren't  exactly  cheering  them  on  when  it  happened. You  were  too  busy  dealing  with  your  guests. Anyone  could  have  gotten  themselves  into  Trowa's  situation." Trowa  raised  an  eyebrow  and  Heero  shrugged. "Well, anyone  who's  under  the  influence  of  drugs  or  alcohol. What's  done  is  done, there's  no  sense  in  worrying  about  it  now, not  when  there's  already  a  solution  in  hand. No  one's  to  blame  for  this  mess." Then, Heero  lowered  his  voice  and  added  solemnly, "Except  for  Duo." He  received  a  collective  nods  of  agreement  from  his  two  comrades.

               "What  was  that?"

               "Nothing. The  point  is," Heero  hastily  elaborated  before  Quatre  caught  on. "It's  not  your  fault. Trowa  could  have  easily  gotten  drunk  at  any  bars  or  some  place  with alcohol  and  the  same  thing  would  happen  anyway." Trowa  glowered  at  Heero  for  the  unnecessary  implication. He  was  certainly  not  the  type  of  person  who  drink, everyone  knew  that. He  even  rarely  went  on  dates. 

               "Although  I  disapprove  the  idea  of  having  a  baby  out  of  wedlock," Wufei  suddenly  spoke  up, crossing  his  arms. "I  have  to  say  I  agree  with  Heero. However, as  concern  as  we  are  about  the  situation, it  is  not  a  matter  that  we  should  interfere. What  Trowa  did  was  wrong, that  I  won't  deny  but  the  only  thing  he  can  do  to  justify  the  consequences  is  to  take  responsibility  for  it. And  he  gave  his  word  that  he  will  so  I  don't  understand  why  is  there  still  any  need  to  relate  to  the  past  anymore."

               Quatre  let  out  a  sigh  and  raked  his  hair. "Look, I  know  it  was  purely  accidental …."He  paused  to  cast  a  dubious  look  at  Trowa, which  actually  caught  Trowa  by  surprise  at  this  accusation. "At  least  I  think  it  was  but  I  can't  help  worrying  about  Minako. She's  my  cousin  and  Trowa's  my  friend  and …." He  let  out  another  helpless  sigh. "I  don't  know  why  it's  so  hard  for  me  to  accept. I  can  understand  it  if  Duo  was  the  one  behind  this, after  all, they  used  to  date  but  of  all  people, Trowa?!"

All  jokes  aside, what  the  heck  was  that  suppose  to  mean? Trowa  wouldn't  take  the  insult  personally  if  Quatre  hadn't  hold  up  his  hands  in  a  exaggerated  gesture  to  beckon  answers  from  the  majestic  powers  from  above. It  would  have  been  extremely  comical  and  funny  if  it  wasn't  at  his  expense. 

While  trying  his  hardest  to  appear  commiserated  or  at  least  indifferent  towards  the  current  situation, Wufei  was  snickering  and  slowly, his  shoulders  were  shaking  from  the  effort  it  took  to  hold  back  his  mirth. And  surprisingly (or  maybe  not), so  was  Heero. Their  manly  giggles  eventually  erupted  into  genuine  laughs, as  though  they  were  merely  sharing  a  warm  camaraderie  between  two  good  friends, all  the  while  avoiding  Trowa's  death  glare  at  their  lack  of  empathy  to  the  severity  of  his  predicament. Never  mind  Quatre's  currently  harassed  mental  state, these  two  could  afford  to  amuse  themselves. After  all, they  didn't  get  anyone  pregnant  or  even  know  anyone  who  was. Either  way, it  was  definitely  not  at  their  expense. 

So  Trowa  consoled  himself  by  thinking  about  Duo's  next  cocktail  party  which  would  undoubtedly  leave  his  two  friends  at  the  mercy  of  Duo's  powerful  homemade  alcoholic  beverage  and  the  tragic  pranks  that  would  befall  on  them. However, as  much  as  he  loved  to  revel  in  the  light  of  his  friends'  future  humiliation, he  had  a  problem  to  settle. 

"Alright, Kat," Trowa  exclaimed  gently  but  firm  enough  to  indicate  his  disposition. "While  I  appreciate  your  'support'  in  my  personal  affairs, I  think  that's  enough  encouragement  I  need  for  today." 

Quatre  threw  him  an  incredulous  look  and  demanded  weakly, "Trowa, how  could  you?" 

Trowa  sensed  the  bitterness  and disappointment  in  that  tone  and  it  struck  to  him  that  in  spite  of  his  accusation, Quatre  was  seriously  taking  the  blame  for  Minako's  ordeal. It  shouldn't  surprise  him  considering  how  obviously  protective  Quatre  was  of  his  cousin  but  he  seriously  didn't  expect  Quatre's  to  react  'violently', albeit  verbally  to  his  ordeal. It  was  a  good  thing  this  gentle  man  opposed  violence, especially  in  his  household. 

               Quatre  wanted  to  add  something  else  but  he  changed  his  mind  and  instead, shook  his  head  in  disappointment  and  stalked  over  to  his  desk, feeling  the  need  to  distance  himself  from  his  friends. Trowa  caught  his  eloquent  gesture  and  restrained  his  own  sigh. Turning  to  the  other  two  pilots, he  said  politely, "I  appreciate  it  if  I  can  talk  to  Quatre  personally  about  this." 

               They  didn't  need  anymore  encouragement, the  air  was  already  tensed  enough  between  the  two  best  friends. So  Wufei  and  Heero  excused  themselves  to  the  dining  room. After  the  door  closed, Trowa  surged  to  his  feet  and  crossed  the  room  to  Quatre's  desk, his  eyes  leveling  with  Quatre  in  speculative  silence. Disappointment  and  disbelief  were  painted  across  the  blonde  pilot's  face, reminding  Trowa  how  sensitive  and  gentle  this  blonde  man  really  was.

               "Honestly, Kat, is  there  any  need  for  me  to  explain  myself?" Trowa  queried  once  he  was  seated. When  Quatre  didn't  answer, he  continued  disconsolately, "I  understand  why  you  react  this  way  and  I  can  only  apologize…"

               "You  think  you  can  exonerate  yourself  with  an  apology?" Quatre  snapped  but  his  eyes  revealed  his  doubts. 

               "I'm  not  trying  to  exonerate  myself  from  anything," Trowa  retorted  gently  in  a  careful  attempt  to  guide  logic  into  Quatre's  mind. "Frankly, I'm  not  even  sure  if  I  owe  you  an  apology. If  I  were  trying  to  exonerate  myself  from  this, I  would  have  insisted  that  Minako  get  rid  of  our  baby. I'm  not  going  to  deny  anything  that  you  accused  me  of  and  I  admit, whatever  happens  between  Minako  and  I  were  an  accident." He  leaned  closer  to  Quatre, his  voice  lowered in  conviction  to  emphasize  his  seriousness  on  the  issue, "But  it  wasn't  a  mistake, Kat. It's  anything  but  that." 

Quatre  was  taken  aback  by  his  confession. "What  do  you  mean? Are  you  saying  that  there's  something  between  the  two  of  you?"

Trowa  hesitated, then  he  shrugged, seeing  as  there  was  no  point  in  denying  it  anymore  from  his  friend. "If  given  the  time, there  might  be," he  murmured  softly  but  with  full  conviction. Then, he  felt  the  tips  of  his  ears  grew  warm  upon  his  next  confession. "We're  having  a  baby  together, I  thought ….maybe  we  can  work  something  out. For  the  baby's  sake, I  mean."

Quatre's  expression  slowly  softened, although  he  still  looked  uncertain. "Then  why  do  you  still  refuse  to marry  her? I  don't  think  your previous  excuse  is  valid  in  this  case  because  usually  that's  what  people  first  talked  about  when  their  thrust  into  your  position. Of  course, she  needs  time  to  accommodate  with  a  life  growing  inside  of  her  and  I'm  sure  she  will  need  your  support  from  time  to  time  like  any  expectant  teenage  mothers, what  better  way  than  to  do  all  those  than  marriage?"

"That's  not  necessarily  the  right  thing  to  do."

"Not  the  right  thing?" Quatre  echoed  in  disbelief. "If  anyone's having  a  baby, they  should  be  married. What  do  you  mean  it's  not  the  right  thing?"

Trowa  suppressed  a  wistful  sigh  and  declared  solemnly, "It  means  that  she  still  has  a  chance  to  be  in  a  relationship  that  she's  always  dream  about." Locking  his  eyes  with  Quatre, he  added  with  conviction  so  that  Quatre  realized  how  serious  he  was  about  everything, "Kat, I  don't  believe  in  divorce. You  do  realize  that  your  cousin  is  the  Senshi  of  Love, right? Now, do  you  think  a  loveless  marriage  appeals  to  the  reincarnation  of  Aphrodite? From  what  she's  gone  through  in  her  past, I  highly  doubted  she  will  accept  anything  less  in  a  relationship, let  alone  marriage. She  deserves  to  be  happy  and  if  given  the  chance, I  would  like  to  be  the  one  to  make  her  happy." He  drew  in  his  breath  to  reassure  himself  and  a  flicker of  disappointment  passed  briefly  across  his  face  before  he  dismissed  it  with  a  shrug. "But  I  can't  place  our  marriage  at  risk  in  case  it  didn't  work  out  the  way  it  should."

It  hurt  him  to  admit  it. His  heart  ached  as  he  spoke  but  that  was  the  truth. As  much  love  as  he  had  stored  for  her, what  good  would  it  do  if  she  doesn't  feel  the  same  way? If  their  marriage  faltered  drastically, there  would  be  some  delicate  issues  regarding  the  baby's  custody  and  it  would  obviously  affect  the  people  around  them, which  would  make  the  situation  even  worst. That  was  why  he  needed  time, time  to  get  her  heart  to  slowly  accept  him  back  in  her  life  before  they  took  a  step  further  into  matrimony. If  he  could  convince  her  he  was  everything, or  at  least  half  of  the  'knight  in  shining  armor'  she  always  dreamt  about, then  maybe  their  marriage  would  blossom  into  something  worthwhile. 

               "You  really  did  think  this  through," Quatre  murmured  in  subtle  amazement. Then, a  smile  slowly  worked  its  way  on  his  handsome  features, immediately  clearing  whatever  bitterness  and  tension  left  between  these  two  men. Chuckling, he added, "I  can't  believe  I  actually  thought  you  will  run  out  of  her."

               "I  understand  why  that  occurred  to  you," Trowa  replied, a  faint  smile  played  across  his  lips. "However, just  to  be  clear, I  am  not  planning  to  run  out  on  her."

               Quatre  smiled  in  appreciation. "I'm  glad." Then, he  looked  at  Trowa  apologetically. "Trowa, I'm  sorry, I  didn't  mean  to  give  you  a  hard  time…."

               "It's  alright," Trowa  assured  him  warmly. "I  understand."

               "Thank  you," Quatre  said  graciously, his  eyes  then  twinkled  meaningfully  as  he  added, "However, for  the  sake  of  the  future, I  do  need  you  to  promise  me  something."

               Trowa  frowned  in  puzzled. "And  that  would  be?"

AN  :  Thank you for all your reviews and I appreciate all your comments, suggestions and pointers. And note to SVZ, I'll work on my spacing on the next chapter. It just so happen that I was already more than halfway through this chapter when I got your review. Anyway, thank you so much. I know there isn't much climax in this chapter and the boys are a little OOC but it's really difficult to anticipate how the boys would react in this situation. The next chapter will be a little more interesting, because that's when the Senshi finds out about Minako's pregnancy. Anyway, hope you enjoy this fic and please don't hesitate to comment^^

  
 


	4. Chapter four

SWEET BLISS 

By : angelofvenusl3

**CHAPTER FOUR**

"Minako, you don't have to move out," Erica pleaded as she tried to wrestle the newspaper from Minako's hands. "For god's sake, it wasn't your fault but if you insist, alright, fine! We still forgive you, though. If it's anything, we should be the one begging for your forgiveness. How are you suppose to know Alex and I got home early today? I mean, who would actually 'do it' on the kitchen table in the afternoon?"

Minako yanked the paper from Erica and surged to her feet from the worn out couch. "Apparently, you guys would," she exclaimed indignantly, the blood still coloring her cheeks. "And that's the third time this week since he moved in already. Look, it's not a big deal. I can easily find an apartment somewhere. There's a lot of ads looking for roommates these days. This place is actually kinda far from campus, it'll be much easier for me if I can find an apartment nearby. Plus, I think you both could use the privacy." Then she cried out in disgust, "I mean, seriously, Erica, the kitchen table?! That's disgusting!"

Erica blushed and exclaimed in defense, "Hey, you would have done the same if you're in love. Heck, you would have even done it in the middle of dinner if he ask for it." Then, she hastily changed the topic before Minako could protest and inquired earnestly, "Not that I'm encouraging you to find another place to live but how come you didn't move in with that guy you slept with? You know, the one responsible for your baby. His apartment is a few blocks away from campus, right?"

"Yea, how did you know he lives …." Minako trailed when another realization registered in her mind and she let out a startled gasp. "You know I'm pregnant?"

Erica snorted. "Minako, you've been craving for ice-cream and bread with walnuts at the side almost every night. If that's not convincing enough, you've been throwing up in the morning right before class. And you let it slip that you've only slept with one guy before in your life, which frankly I think that's a little depressing but I assume that's the only guy who could be responsible for your ordeal of facing the toilet bowl every morning. Anyway, the father of your baby has been calling this past couple of days asking about you and it so happened that you were always in class when he called. So I talked to him a little bit."

Minako looked utterly shock and …moved. There was a flutter in her stomach as she grew warm at this discovery. "Well, what does he want?"

Erica shrugged. "He just wants to know how're you doing, that's all. He didn't exactly say that you're pregnant or anything but he demand in detail about your condition that I couldn't doubt he was the father. So one day I asked him whether you're pregnant and if he really is the father and eventually he admitted it." Then, her tone grew envious, "God, Minako, you are so lucky. I mean, he is so sweet and what a gentleman. I can tell, he'll be a wonderful father to your baby. He's so concern about your well being."

Minako couldn't help smiling as her friend gushed on and on about Trowa. It had been a week since she last saw him and from what she had gathered from a different source, Trowa was sent to outer space to complete some urgent assignment so she hadn't been in contact with him much. However, he did call her twice in the last four days to ask about her condition, although she was clearly unaware he had spoken to her roommate about it. But still, it was really sweet of Trowa and Minako could feel herself welling up at his wonderful gesture. And the fact that there was one more person who had accepted the idea of her unexpected pregnancy.

"You don't mind, Erica?" Minako inquired timidly all of a sudden, slowly taking a seat next to Erica.

Erica was puzzled. "Mind what? About you being pregnant?" When Minako hesitantly nodded, Erica gave her a warm smile as she placed a comforting hand on Minako's shoulder. "Of course not. Why do you think we clear out the pickles, the alcohols and those expiry products? Trowa told me you can't eat any of those things. I thought usually pregnant women have this weird craving for pickles but I guess it works differently for everyone …."

"Oh god!" Minako exclaimed tearfully as she suddenly gave her roommate a bear hug. "It's a relief to let this out in the open. You don't know how hard it's been for me. I mean, one minute you're on top and the next minute you're down under. It's a horrible feeling!"

"What are you talking about?" Erica cried in dismay as she struggled to pry Minako's arms from her throat. "Did your agency fired you?"

"Not yet but I'm afraid they will once they find out," Minako answered, sniffling. "I mean, I know I'm too young to be a mother but I can't possibly take my own baby's life. That's just cruel and I'm beginning to love this baby. But now, all of a sudden there's so many risks and responsibilities thrust to me. I know the college can't throw me out because why would they since a quarter of the students were already married and have their own kids? But then, I'm not married or engaged. I don't even have a boyfriend. What will people think of me? They'll just assume I slept with some random guy at a bar, when all I did was slept with my cousin's best friend at a decent party. Oh, how will I ever face my fans? My poor, disappointed fans …."

"Your hormone's definitely raging out of control," Erica stated and attempted to chuckle but choked in the process instead when Minako's arms tightened in respond. When Erica let out a squeak, Minako finally pulled back and allowed her friend to breathe.

"Sorry," Minako said sheepishly and sighed. "You know what, I should take this one thing at a time. That's all there is to it. Take it slow and easy and everything will fall into place." Then, she looked thoughtful and nodded in affirmative, feeling a surge of confidence. "Yea, I can do this. I shouldn't care what other people think. It's not like their opinion matter to me. Well, if they're my friends, they would support me in my decision to keep the baby. Who cares about careers? And boyfriends? They come and go but children will always stay. Oh my god, Erica, you are right!"

At this point Erica was gaping at Minako as her tried to process what Minako was talking about. "Say what?"

Completely oblivious to Erica's confusion, Minako surged to her feet and balled her fists. Her eyes shone brightly as she stared into space. "This is my destiny. To be a struggling teenage mother working twenty hours a day while trying to raise her beautiful child in this cruel, discriminated world. I mean, I can make a movie out of this. Or …or a reality TV show! This is perfect! My baby is about to become a star. Just like me …"

"Um, Minako, I don't think you thought this through …."

"Shush, Erica, there's no time to waste," Minako intruded. Erica raised her eyes in puzzle and she was about to open her mouth when Minako hastily added, "I have to find a new apartment!"

Like a flash of light, Minako was off and the next thing Erica heard was the slam of the door.

At the same time the conversation took place, a plane slowly made its descend after a long journey.

"Trowa, you're back!"

Trowa reluctantly shifted his gaze from the computer screen to meet Duo's eager cobalt blue eyes. Without so much of a greeting, he leaned back against his seat, finally allowing himself a moment to relax his raw muscles and waited patiently for Duo to begin his ritual of spreading the office gossips.

"Hey, I heard about the mission," Duo exclaimed, almost a little too excitedly as he crossed the room. "Funny how those disputes started, isn't it? The whole headquarter is talking about it, you know, how it got Une so worked up and the intense investigations in the past month. Boy, had all those been a waste of tax money. Wufei is tearing his hair out as we speak and cursing the next person who walks in his office. I should know, I was one of them." He paused to chuckle. "I've never seen him so worked up since the war. I mean, he got so frustrated he threw the computer out the window."  
Trowa raised an eyebrow in mild interest. "He did?" He shouldn't really be surprise, though. Wufei was quite known to express his frustration openly only when his patience was truly tested and pushed to the edge.

"Well, no," came Duo's flat reply, which deflated Trowa's interest. "But he seem like he was about to when he realized he had slammed the door so hard that he practically tore the hinges." Duo grimaced faintly at that memory. "Would have been really funny if the door hadn't hit my face in the process. Anyway, can't say I blame that guy, though. Apparently Une's placing him fully responsible for this mess, since he's the supervisor and all."

"Actually, she's placing both of us responsible for it."

Duo was taken aback. "But you were the one who discover the fraud elements and inconsistent details in this assignment, no thanks to Wufei and your incompetent subordinates. Besides, you weren't suppose to be involved in the first place."

Trowa nodded his head in agreement, still very unusually calm and relax. There was even a hint of a smile forming on his lips. "True but I accepted the mission at the very last minute. It was our error of judgment, we thought it would place the colony under serious threat. Wufei was already facing enough conflicts with his other missions so it was not exactly a shock when he overlooked the investigation reports. Fortunately there was barely any serious damages. And because of that, I'm very certain Lady Une will not go so far as to fire him or suspend us. Wufei's been working overtime for the past two months, he doesn't deserve to be penalized for it."

"Well, you look awfully calm for someone who's at the verge of being reprimanded," Duo noted with a wry smile.

Trowa shrugged. "I'm very convinced that I won't be fired for this error. That alone, is enough to justify my being relaxed."

That was partly true. The obvious reason contributed to this excessive flow of joy suppressed beneath his calm demeanor was the discovery of his impending fatherhood in the next few months, along with the girl who had stolen his heart years back and who was also responsible for the existence of his child. Although the first thing he wanted to do when he got back from his mission was to head straight to Minako's apartment, he had a long report to write and at the same time, his presence was gravely needed in a meeting which was due in three hours time, provided the last few steps of their procedure went smoothly. Still, he intended to drop by Minako's apartment as soon as he got everything settled in the HQ, though it seemed most likely now it would take awhile, considering the incoming reports he had to write and review.

After the last incident at the Winner mansion, Trowa had managed to talk the other pilots, mainly Quatre into keeping the news about Minako's pregnancy a secret especially from Duo, since he intended to figure out the truth behind Duo's persistent flirtation with the mother of his child. Duo's knowledge about it might prove to be a drawback in his attempt to win Minako back and he couldn't risk that yet. He refused to even consider the possibility that Minako might have some other men in her life. The chances of winning her might be slim but he had to at least try. Until now, he couldn't accept the fact that he had lost her in the past merely because of his cowardice.

He felt guilty of hiding this from Duo, if Duo was indeed still in love with her and intended to pursue her but she was pregnant with his child! That had to at least amount up to something. He could not simply discard their friendship aside merely because he and Duo shared a similar interest to the woman who would soon give birth to his baby. He had to talk to Duo about it and soon, before he discovered it from another source. He just hope Duo wouldn't place him in a difficult spot where either their friendship or his future relationship with Minako would be at risk. But until then, he refused to worry about it and try to keep on Duo's good side for as long as possible.

"No, that's not it," Duo murmured thoughtfully as he studied his amused friend. "There's something different about you that I can't quite put my finger on …." Then, he squinted his eyes to stare intensely at Trowa before he pulled back and exclaimed in shock, a hand placed on his chest for dramatic effect, "My god, is my eyes deceiving me?! Is that what I think it is?!! That's it, it's a smile, isn't it!! You're smiling!" He pointed out with such deliberate exaggeration that Trowa was actually offended, which obviously, diminished the remnants of the smile from his face. Before Trowa could defend himself, Duo suddenly let out a grin as he drew nearer and his eyes practically shone in interest. "I get it now! So the …" He made a quotation mark in the air. "… 'mission' was successful, after all! Good for you, man!"

Trowa was genuinely confused. "What are you talking about?"

Duo sighed and raised his hands up in defeat. "Alright, fine, I understand. This is a work place, after all. To preserve your personality as the cold man from the circus with the weird 'do' and the possibility that this conversation is being taped …" He scanned the room briefly in suspicion. "… or being videotaped, we'll talk in code." Trowa stared in stupefaction as Duo began making wild, furious yet idiotic gestures that resembled a drowning pilot in outer space.

And this bumbling idiot had the nerve to call him a clown.

He couldn't really blame Duo, though. In the past couple of months, work in the headquarter had became increasingly slow. The staffs seemed to be taking their assignments lightly and dallying their work as they pleased. So in order to ensure speed and progress, Wufei had managed to convince Lady Une to install more recorders or video cameras along the corridors and leading up to the offices. Although Trowa's office was not install, some of the other officers weren't so lucky. Duo, being one of them. Especially Duo, being one of them. Trowa and Heero had suspected Wufei's main motive for that exaggerated means was to eliminate (or at least reduce) the pranks devised by a 'mysterious' culprit in the HQ. It was immensely effective.

Before Duo made any further attempt that would embarrass the heck out of him when someone walked into the room, Trowa interrupted in annoyance, "Duo, not everyone's rooms are like yours. So it's normal for us to communicate in the proper way that everyone understand. Now, you were saying …" No longer in the mood to entertain Duo's company, he pretended to act really busy by scribbling something furiously on a piece of paper, hoping Duo would get the hint and leave him peacefully.

"You got some, didn't you?"

Trowa's hand all of a sudden slipped, bringing along the sharp tip of the pen to shred the paper and producing a nice, messy hole in the middle.

In that instant, the whole room seemed to have succumbed into frozen silence. Both men stared at the other, one waiting expectantly for a respond while the other was contemplating various methods of denial and at the same time, weighing the pros and cons of simply kicking out his friend out of his office (literally). But that would result to a lot of stressful endurance for the next few weeks due to Duo's relentless assault/teasing, which he himself had indirectly confirmed. So instead, he, one of the most fearsome Gundam Pilot that was bestowed many honors which would undoubtedly leave many brave men crying in their pants, decided to do what his other comrades had done when faced with such dangerous accusation from Duo.

He would prevaricate the question relentlessly. Then when Duo finally got on his nerves, he would deny it.

"Duo …"

"You don't have to hide it, Trowa," Duo cut him off with a dismissive wave. "So you finally got the courage to ask someone out, that's great. There's nothing wrong and certainly nothing to be ashamed about acting a little normal. Have to say I'm a little relief, though. I thought you and that guy from the copier have something going on …."

"First of all, you can't preach about the qualities of normalcy when you have yet to possess one yourself," Trowa stated in annoyance. "Second, how can you sum up a smile with being associated with female companionship? And third …" He drew in his breath and demanded in disgust, "What is this about Gary?"

Duo's smile seemed to have frozen in place and his body went rigid. For a minute there, he didn't speak, staring blankly at Trowa with a fixed grin. Then, he instantly prodded excitedly. "So, how about that girl? Aren't you going to tell me who she is? Oh wait, do I know her? I do know her, don't I? Otherwise you wouldn't act so strange and evasive."

Trowa shifted slightly in his seat, a deep frown slowly began to etch on his features as he disliked the way this conversation was heading.

"Duo …"

Duo's eyes glinted in mischief. "Is it Tina, Une's secretary?"

Trowa restrained the urge to roll his eyes and muttered in disgust, "She wish."

"How about Une's other secretary?"

Any form of objection died in Trowa's mouth when another thought occurred to him. "Felicia? Isn't she seeing someone?"

"Yea. So?"

" ….. "

"Alright, it's Annabelle from accounts, right? I knew she's always got the hots for you. She ain't too bad herself."

Realizing this guessing game could go on awhile, Trowa made a hasty attempt to end it. "Duo, I'll make this very easy for you, I'm not seeing anyone."

"Oh, Myra! It's Myra, right? Your subordinate, Myra, the one with the big hair!"

Trowa frowned. "Duo, weren't you listening? I'm not …."

"Andy's partner, Angela?"

"I said I'm not seeing …"

"What about Crystal? The hot chick fresh from the academy."

"… who?"

"Emma from human resource?"

"Duo …."

"Rita from human resource?"

"DUO!"

" Une?"

"What, of course not!" Trowa exclaimed in shock, appalled that Duo would go so far as to add Lady Une into the list. It wasn't because Lady Une was dull or anything, she was actually quite pretty for a woman with her capabilities but there were rules established that prohibited any personal relationship between members of the HQ and their officers …at least, the last time he checked there was.

"Thank god. So Noin then?"

"For god's sake, Duo …"

"Lenord?"

"Lenord's a man!"

"And …."  
A mixture of astonishment, bafflement and helpless rage crossed Trowa's features. Forcing himself to calm down (because as Catherine and Relena had taught him when faced with one of 'Duo challenges', violence was not the answer) and mentally did a counting to ten (an ineffective method but he did it more out of habit rather than actually exercising it), he considered pressing the button discreetly that would alert the security guards and have them escort/force Duo …

Duo looked thoughtful. "This prove to be harder than I thought. Let's see which department has anymore chicks left …" Noticing the obvious suppressed rage storming in Trowa's eyes, he added with a chuckle, "Relax, Trowa, I was just kidding about Lenord. He's married anyway. I've never seen you this happy before …well, except maybe during that time when you drank one of my homemade beverages at New Years Eve. Still, this is quite amazing. I'm glad that you found someone. I was actually worried you were doomed to spend the rest of your life in spinsterhood. She must be one heck of a lady then …"

Trowa's features softened a little. His anger doused by Duo's spirit and at the same time, asserting his guilt. Perhaps this would be a perfect time to tell Duo the truth but somehow he couldn't bring it up just yet. "Duo, I am not seeing anyone," he insisted weakly. "It's …it's more complicated than you think."

"But there is someone?"

Trowa maintained a dignified expression, however he turned away at the very last minute when he felt blood rushing to his cheeks, which further encouraged Duo to broach the subject due to his friend's apparent embarrassment. Back then when Duo or anyone teased him with his female acquaintance, Trowa had faced each accusation with relaxed ease and sometimes, exaggerated nonchalance just to emphasize his disinterest in that subject. But now much to his consternation, he discovered how difficult it was to do so at this stage where he was at his most vulnerable.

"I knew it," Duo exclaimed triumphantly, slapping his palm on the desk. He paused, looking pleased with himself, then his face twisted in confusion. "Is a 'she', right?"

Somewhere slightly far away from the headquarter, nestled in the midst of a friendly neighborhood and peaceful atmosphere, the Aino mansion stood remarkably proud. Unlike any other afternoon, there was a pensive mood looming over the mansion, contaminating the peaceful and serene environment of the neighborhood. It had been there for awhile now as members of the household were too distraught with the unfortunate news which arrived at their doorstep two weeks ago.

Neighbors that strolled past the grand mansion couldn't help noting the gloomy atmosphere emitted from the house. It was very unusual for a house this palatial to reduce to such apparent dullness and lack of spirit as it had always been the life of the neighborhood, holding grand parties at least once a month and conducting many functions and beneficial events. It was so obvious that an incident had occurred and it had quite a devastating effect on the household since not even the servants dared to open their mouth, much less the respective owners who intended to preserve their dignity by remaining reclusive.

However, upon the arrival of four young girls and accompanied by their favorite felines, the mansion stirred into life as excited voices drifted into the air, echoing incoherently with mixed enthusiasm. Until a loud, shrill voice penetrated the serenity, shaking the mansion and causing a passer-by outside to jump in fright and almost experience heart palpitation.

"HE DID WHAT?!!!"

Unaware of the imminent danger, Trowa directed all his concerns to the current task of writing and reviewing the reports. He had finally gotten rid of Duo, after he reluctantly 'admitted' to an affair with one of his co-workers, which satisfied the braided man and thus, giving Trowa the reprieve he sought. However, Trowa spent the next few hours in Wufei's office, exchanging references and discussing minor details regarding their assignments.

When he first entered the office, Wufei had being relatively calmed and maintained a detached expression as he worked, just like Trowa expected him to but he knew beneath that exterior, the Chinese man was beyond frustrated and would immediately lash out if the opportunity knocked. So Trowa was careful not to trigger any button that might send him over the edge, not that he had ever managed to do it before. Of all the people, he was the least person who had gotten any of the pilots angry and he intended to maintain that, although he had an uneasy feeling it won't be for long once Duo discovered the important issue that would change their lives.

"I don't believe this," Wufei muttered as he studied the report. Trowa was seated across from him, already in the midst of inspecting his own document, although much to his dismay, his mind kept wandering about and he recognized the elated joy that still flooding his veins.

"Yes, it's very difficult to take in one's own recklessness," Trowa murmured absently as he peered at a report which he had read for at least ten times in the past three hours. "This is very unlike you. But I'd say it's not as bad as it seem."

Wufei heaved a frustrated sigh and tossed the report aside. "At least one of us think so."

"You're being too hard on yourself."

"In case you're not aware, it's an error that no experienced officer should be responsible for," Wufei told him flatly.

Trowa finally looked up from his file and shrugged. "Perhaps. But people do make mistakes, experienced or not. You are entitled to at least some credit. No one can honestly put the blame fully on you."

"I'm not asking for any sympathy here," Wufei retorted in discontent.

"And I wasn't giving you any," Trowa said, the corner of his lips lifted. "I'm merely stating the facts. You deserve to know the truth."

"How benignant of you." Wufei's sarcastic reply provoked a soft chuckle from the taller man, which took the Chinese man slightly by surprise. What stunned Wufei the most was the apparent smile pinned on Trowa's face after that and it didn't seem like it would fade as it usually did. Clearing his throat and peering at Trowa in suspicion, he said with deliberate slowness to outline his friend's unusual mood, "It seems to me either you're not handling the pressure well enough or you chose the wrong time to make up for the years you've spent frowning."

If it was possible, Trowa's smile widened, though not to the point where it reached his ears but wide enough to stun anyone who walked into the office. Usually Trowa would not go so far as to deliberately making it apparent of his elatedness but he had known the other pilots longer than most people so it became almost a habit to let his guard down a little when they were around. Besides, he was getting used to these elated sensations and he liked knowing that the next time he walked into this office he would be with a kid. Literally. So maybe he won't bring his kid to his office …or Wufei's office but he would be a father then so that counted as a remarkable difference and perhaps a turning point in his life, which he would gladly welcome with open arms.

Despite the present conflicts he was facing with his work, Wufei was amazed at the distinct difference in Trowa's mood and he didn't make any attempt to conceal it, understanding well enough the cause. He was still baffled up until now at how much effect it had on the Latin man for he had never seen Trowa this happy. Except maybe that time during New Year's Eve when Trowa consumed more than half a bottle of Duo's homemade beverages (which was suppose to be non-alcoholic). The poor man was laughing like Santa Clause on Prozac by midnight, all in regards to Duo betting he could get Trowa to 'loosen up'. Needless to say, several incidents had occurred after that which cause many of Quatre's priceless Ming vases shattered and Wufei sourly turning over his fifty bucks in defeat.

Wufei knew Trowa didn't intend to lead them astray from their current occupation with an insignificant topic so Trowa didn't make any inclination to answer. Yet Wufei pursued that subject anyway, feeling the need to distract himself from the intensity of their workload and the pressure arising from it. "Seeing you like this, I'm afraid I am convinced that alcohol is the key to happiness."

"I'm not drunk," Trowa pointed out bluntly, offended.

"I didn't say you were."

"But you implied."

Wufei smirked, banishing the remnants of the tensed atmosphere circulating the office. Trowa caught his intention, also glad at the change of air.

"Well, isn't it?" Wufei inquired, raising his eyebrow in amusement. "It all started from a round of harmless drinking. From my observation, you have been drunk ever since."

Trowa frowned in displeasure at the implication, then he shrugged in defeat when he realized there was also some truth beneath it. "At least I obtain some compensation."

"Couldn't argue with that," Wufei agreed. "So how is she?"

Instinctively Trowa knew who he meant and this time, he tried to hide his grin and managed to soften the apparent sign of his contentment. "I assume she's doing alright."

"Did you not talk to her?"

"Not lately. Rectifying your mistakes and reliving them altogether in papers stripped away most of my time and proved to be quite a strenuous task if I wasn't bless with patient."

Wufei snorted, although he did not take any offence. "Well, forgive me from stealing those precious minutes away from talking to the mother of your child," he retorted with heavy sarcasm, resisting the urge to roll his eyes.

Trowa only responded good-naturedly, "She's still trying to adjust herself. It seems to be a little harder than she thought."

"I am not the least bit surprise," Wufei stated absently as he began compiling his papers into a file. "There's only so much a naïve, pregnant twenty-year-old could handle. Her father's concern and accusation are reasonable. By refusing to marry her, you've ultimately pushed her family away and forced her to face this entire ordeal alone."

Trowa nodded, suddenly his mood dampened by the guilt he felt for her miseries. "She is not alone. I told her I will always be at her service whenever she requested me to be. But I understand where you are going with this. It does place me in a difficult position."

Then, another voice intruded before anyone had a chance to speak, "You knocked up a twenty-year-old, Barton?"

Trowa's body went stilled as he had momentarily forgotten the other presence in the room who was bestowed the honor of fixing Wufei's door (which had became one of the recent 'victims' of Wufei's 'dilemma'). Turning to acknowledge the man's remark, Trowa maintained a dignified expression and corrected him indignantly, "I did not 'knock her up', as you had so gently put it."

"But you got her pregnant?"

Why did it sound so repulsive when he put it that way? Could he not use a more sympathetic tone? Honestly, some people just have no manners. Trowa studied the man in silence before finally replying in a dangerously low voice, "At what point do you think your career depend on my personal life?"

Noticing Trowa's growing irritation at this intrusion, Wufei drawled lazily, "Just keep fixing the door, Rex."

Rex let out a whistle and shook his head in amazement, then he turned away to resume back to his task of reuniting the door with its hinges.

Wufei glimpsed at his wrist watch and sighed inwardly. Trowa could see the tension mounting in his eyes and etching on his face. "We better get moving," he declared solemnly, his features now impassive. "It's time."

Three hours later, Trowa was beginning to feel restless. Apparently the consequences of their mission failure were more drastic than he anticipated. There was still a whole stack of reports waiting for evaluation and Lady Une seemed to take her own time scanning the eighth page of the report. Complaints lodged from foreign departments were read out, much to the members' embarrassment.

" …so we have no choice but to triple the use of these resources," one of the officer was saying in defense. "Otherwise we have to rely only on the first and second unit to move in. If we consider the amount of damages done …"

"But as far as I'm told, unit 01 was in grave need of a repair at that time," Lady Une intruded, her forehead furrowed in concentration as she scanned the damage report. Her voice already revealing her disapproval. "How can you send a unit that is sorely lacking in the appropriate requirement to lead the mission?"

Trowa listened quietly as the debate ensued, interrupting only once in awhile when his area of profession was questioned. After another hour of evaluation and reliving the mission, Trowa was seriously bored, although that did not distract him from his current occupation of listening and offering his own view on the subject. His gaze began to wander to the window, only to discover it was almost dark. His plan to stop by Minako's apartment was crushed, his anticipation to see her diminished the minute he assessed the length of time it would take for them to relive the details and hand out new assignments for 'damage control'.

As one of the officers began to hand out reports, Wufei flipped through his file almost urgently while muttering something under his breath. Noticing this, Trowa leaned slightly towards the Chinese man and whispered so that the others couldn't hear, "What's wrong?"

"I think I've left some of Kent's statistic reports in the office," Wufei said, scowling as he looked up.

Trowa immediately seized the opportunity to leave the stuffy room and offered himself, "I'll get it for you." Wufei gazed at him in uncertainty, obviously not expecting his kind service at all. "As the head of the mission, you are not to leave the meeting. I'll go and get the reports for you."

With that, Trowa excused himself to fetch those documents and mentally sighed in relief as soon as the door closed behind him. He realized the HQ was quieter than usual but only because it was almost evening and some of the members were permitted to leave. He strolled along the corridor, deliberately taking his time for he knew Wufei won't be needing those reports as urgently as he had sounded.

The door was already opened by the time he reached Wufei's office. After surveying various papers scattering on the desk, he finally grabbed the documents and was about to leave when he felt something was amiss. His body instantly went into alert and he froze on the spot, surveying his surrounding with caution and careful analysis. His senses were tingling, something was definitely not right …

And his instinct was accurate, of course, when he was ambushed a second later by an angry figure leaping from behind the desk and tackling him to the floor. Trowa would have reacted differently if he was attacked by someone other than Minako's friends. But unfortunately, it was her friend. A very angry friend at that. So, left with not much choice, he allowed himself to be pounced by Makoto who was glaring at him with contempt. Plus, it had been so long since he was ambushed in his own office so he wasn't exactly prepare for it.

"Got him!!"

Once he had recovered from the shock and the pain spreading through his body, a gentle voice whom he later recognized materialized at their side, peering at him guiltily and making a futile attempt to pry her friend from him. "Mako-chan, is it necessary to approach him like this?"

"Ami, this is a small price to pay for what he had done, believe me!" Makoto exclaimed in disgust and she tightened her grip on his collar. "How could you do that to her?!" she cried to Trowa, yelling so loud Trowa feared the members in the meeting could even hear her. "I can't believe you would sink yourself that low and worst, humiliate her like this!! It's bad enough you slept with her in such a degrading manner but you had to drag her down with you by getting her pregnant!! And how dare you refuse to take responsibility for what you have done!! You're a coward! You're nothing but a lowlife, scumbag without any decent amount of emotion, stuffed behind that cold-blooded …."

Trowa's features hardened and he cut her off in annoyance, "If you would kindly let me off, I will explain myself."

Makoto studied him with disgust before shrugging him off and finally released him. Trowa sat up and after a minute to adjust his shirt, he calmly picked up the scattered papers and documents on the floor. Ami hesitantly offered a hand and quickly gathered as much as she could, although from her humble nature, Trowa could detect the disapproval in her eyes. "What did Minako tell you?"

"She didn't, she was in class," Ami admitted once the documents were finally collected. "Her parents did…"

"And some of us thought it would be deserving if we approach you in this manner," Makoto spat as she folded her arms and tapped her foot expectantly. "Now, kindly explain yourself. Why did you refuse to marry her?"

Now where have he heard that before?

Trowa sighed inwardly. He seriously didn't have that much time to spare. What, with all long, dreaded speeches and stabbing remarks, how could anyone not look forward to that? "I can't possibly explain everything at this moment." Makoto snorted but Trowa continued hastily before she could snap at him, "You girls caught me in a bad time …"

Makoto narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "Are you trying to run away?"

"No, I'm trying to maintain my job so that I can accumulate enough money to send my child to college," Trowa retorted in annoyance.

Ami looked at him in bewilderment. "You mean, you'll take care of the baby?"

"Of course I'll take care of the baby," Trowa said, gazing at her as if she was daft. "I'll even take care of the mother of the baby."

"But her parents said …."

Trowa heaved a frustrated sigh, cutting her off instantly. He really didn't have the time for this. "I'm sure they said a lot of things and I don't mind clearing them up if I'm not currently in the middle of a meeting …"

"But you really promise to take care of her?" Ami persisted, still looking uncertain.

"Yes. Her parents might told you otherwise but for the baby's sake, I'll take as much responsibility as I can."

Makoto frowned. "What about the part where you refuse to marry her?"

Trowa hesitated a little, then he reluctantly admitted, "Well, there might be some truth in that …."

Makoto and Ami gave him an incredulous look. Trowa started to reply but then, something caught the corner of his eyes and he was rendered silence when he discovered what it was.

The newly repaired door seemed to have torn apart once more and shove behind a potted plan at the far corner of the room in a miserable attempt to 'blend in'. With each sides jutting out from the miniature tree, it was doing a 'splendid' job indeed. To have the door torn apart wasn't that bad actually and under normal circumstances, it was still repairable. Being a fearsome Gundam pilot equipped with amazing skills that could put many professions out of job, he was obviously aware of the 'intricate' knowledge needed to reunite the door with its hinges and was quite capable of completing just that, with the assistance of some tools. However, as intellectually gifted or plainly gifted as he was, he was certainly not prepared to deal with the massive crack in the middle of the door, its splinters jutting out in a suspicious manner that appeared most likely to have resulted from a powerful kick or some object hurled angrily at it. So unless he worked in some companies that produced doors or gifted with the ability to heal broken furniture, he was utterly helpless (a situation which he found himself to be quite prone to lately).

He wondered if Wufei could actually learn to appreciate that the complexity of his personal life only cost the Chinese man a door, not fifty bucks (like he had betted on New Year's Eve with Duo). Although a door would probably have cost a little bit more but this was definitely going into the HQ's account so technically, it doesn't cost him anything.

And if that didn't console the Fiery One, Trowa could always blame Duo.

Turning to the girls in silent accusation, he pointed to the broken door. "What happen?" he asked in resignation, not really certain he wanted to know.

Ami glanced at him apologetically. "I guess we got a little carried away …."

Trowa reassessed the amount of damage done and concluded that the phrase 'carried away' was an understatement. It was quite impressive that the door was still intact, although the long, threatening cracks jutting out here and there revealed that it won't be worthy of that title for long.

"Hey, you refused to marry my friend!" Makoto retorted indignantly with a huff. "Start explaining if you don't want to end up like that." She motioned her head to the door. Trowa could have sworn he heard faint thunder crackling in the background but dismissed it quickly as part of his imagination, preferring to believe he was being a little too paranoid over a broken door. "Now what happen between you and Minako? You just …slept with her? Just like that?"

Trowa drew in his breath to steady himself. His annoyance was escalating to a dangerous level and he feared that his lack of control would lead to some unfortunate consequences where the door wouldn't be the only victim in this situation. It could also be Wufei's desk and Trowa knew how much time Wufei had spent behind his desk and how 'meaningful' those moments were. "Last time I check that's the only way to have a baby. So I suppose the answer is affirmative. Yes, I did sleep with her."

Makoto was obviously still unsatisfied, if not a little disgusted at his blunt confession. "But what really happen?"

Trowa frowned. "Which part of the story did you not understand?" Is she expecting him to explain in disturbing detail the process of it? He never attended school but he had acquired some appropriate amount of knowledge to grant him an understanding how sex really worked. So shouldn't these educated people have already understood the concept of it?

Ami interrupted softly, "I'm sorry, Trowa. It's just that …we find it a little hard to believe. You both were drunk?" When Trowa reluctantly nodded, she added hastily in disbelief, "But Minako doesn't drink."

Trowa hesitated. "Well, it was actually by accident that it happened …"

"And you refuse to marry her because …" Makoto trailed, waiting expectantly for him to fill in.

Trowa contemplated the length of time it would need for him to explain himself and at the same time, appear less 'cold-blooded' in their eyes. But he discovered that would take a longer time to explain. "Look, I'm in the middle of a meeting. This will just have to wait. Just …" He paused to survey the damage, grimacing in distaste. "Just stay in my office until I finish."

The girls were taken aback. "Wait, you mean this isn't your office?" Ami inquired.  
Trowa looked at her skeptically. "No, my office is at the far end of the corridor. This is Wufei's office."

Ami's hands flew to her mouth to cover a horrified gasp. Makoto hesitated, then she looked thoughtful and murmured, "Yea, we should have confirmed it first instead of relying on assumptions …"

Ami cleared her throat and pointed out softly, "Actually, you were the one who insist that we break the door down …"

"Well, most of the people have left the building," Makoto retorted indignantly yet her features revealed her regret, which was a little comforting to Trowa.

Trowa shrugged. "I don't think they will respond well to those who broke into the office anyway." Which reminded him, he would have to speak to Wufei about placing more CCTV cameras in the whole building, instead of focusing specifically in Duo's office (for obvious reason). Then, scolding himself for dallying the time, he quickly crossed the room to leave, taking with him the reports and stopped abruptly in his tracks once more as another realization hit him.

"Are the others here, too?"

Makoto and Ami exchanged puzzled glances, offering Trowa very little consolation that his day would run smoothly.


	5. Chapter five

SWEET BLISS BY : angelofvenusl3 

**AN : **Thank you to those of you who reviewed the previous chapters and as always, your comments are much appreciated. I'm really sorry for making you guys wait so long and I hope this chapter will make up for the delay. Enjoy and don't forget to review

**CHAPTER FIVE**

Alright, it's okay, Trowa assured himself as he strode down the hall towards the conference room where the meeting was held. Everything is still okay. So the other Senshi are here, that's not a bad thing. It just mean that a little more people will know about this special situation he's in. That's not so bad.

Trowa exhaled deeply. He felt the excitement due to his impending fatherhood and exhaustion from his tasks earlier this morning finally taken a toll on his body. He hadn't been able to relax much, he had so many things on his mind. Now with the presence of two Senshi in HIS office and the inevitable chaos that would ensue once he return, he was beyond disorientated. He had yet to discover the whereabouts of the other Senshi, who were most probably wandering about in this very building and he couldn't even begin to imagine the chaos they would bring. He was just thankful that most of the staffs had left. Particularly Duo. He didn't need anymore witness. Still, he did not like the idea of these girls wandering about in the HQ, dressed up as a member of their respective organization. Makoto had suggested that possibility, though she never implied with enough conviction to cause serious concern in him.

He couldn't understand how anyone was able to break into a building with tight security, masquerading as a member and get away it without anyone discovering the treachery. And they certainly didn't have the skills to break into their own house (he would know, he was there), much less a building filled with highly trained spies or penetrate the secret codes installed. However, after years of acquaintance with the girls, he had learnt a long time ago not to underestimate them and that some things were better left unexplained. At least not in detail. How a simple girl could transform into a heroine donning a mini in less than ten seconds and magically equipped with astounding ability to produce fire/laser/thunder/water and other source of elements was beyond him. The last time he tried to figure that out, he ended up more confused than ever because apparently, according to their feline guardian, Luna (he wasn't even going to attempt to rationalize the idea of a talking cat), it went further back into their 'past' life, which the girls insisted that the particular details of their life remained a secret.

It wasn't that he didn't trust the girls yet dealing with an angry Senshi could prove to be very troublesome and somewhat suicidal, considering they tend to get a little too emotionally involved in the problem than Trowa had liked, which thus, would obviously lead to some unfortunate outcomes, to which he did not like.

When Trowa reached the conference room, the discussion was still revolving around the area of Unit 01's lack of supplies. The members didn't stop their debate when he entered the room and slinked back to his seat next to Wufei. Wufei was too engrossed in the discussion to acknowledge his presence. They continued to exchange their opinions with heated conviction, to which Trowa realized this meeting would take even longer time than necessary to reach a consensus. The air was sizzling with tension as more papers, which he assumed were copies of damage reports were being handed out.

To others he might appeared calm, collected and detached, hardly looking like someone who was previously ambushed in his own office by two defenseless girls. Yet inside, he was appearing more and more harassed. His nerves were frazzled enough and the part where his task was questioned profusely didn't make it any easier for him. The transition from being accused of sleeping with someone in a drunken stupor to being accused for a botched mission that when horribly wrong and could have gone even worst if he had not made some significant discoveries left him slightly dazed. Back then, if he faced any similar situations, he would be able to take everything in a stride without having it affecting his mental state. Back then, when he was still intractable and what Duo had referred to him, when he was in one of his party mood and trying to get Trowa to 'hook up', as 'macho'.

But that was back then when he hadn't met Minako and before they had attained peace. He, along with the other pilots, had mellowed down from the pleasant, soothing environment where fire arms were not required in everyday life, unless of course, for those professions whose entire duty revolved around apprehending criminals. Although he was permitted to legally own a gun, his job didn't require him to go around shooting enemies frequently. All in all, he had gradually softened and therefore, his mind was not as intractable as it used to be since he was exposed to things which he had never been exposed before in the war. Peace had mellowed him down.

Either that, or old age was catching to him. Never mind the fact that he was only twenty four. Anyone who had gone through more than his share of surprises like he had could feel the wrinkles starting to form.

"I have to say, this is very unlike you, Wufei," Lady Une was saying, her eyebrow raised in inquiry. "You did a good job on the specific commands but unfortunately, they weren't exactly the correct order of business I have in mind." Wufei's features hardened just slightly to indicate his displeasure but the rules of conduct did not allow him to protest, not when he knew he was at fault. "Although we're not here to point fingers, I have to acknowledge that your lack of better judgment almost cost us million dollars of damages." She sighed and leaned back against the leather seat. "I can understand why you're not as alert as you used to be. Since Noin and Heero were sent to outer space, you've taken over most of their work and I can see that it has put quite a strain on you. But it's still not an excuse. If we are to handle anymore urgent missions like this, I can't afford to take any risk." She paused, as though waiting for Wufei's reaction but the Chinese man merely stared at her as he waited expectantly for her to continue. "Therefore, I'm giving you a leave of absence for two weeks. Without pay."

Even upon hearing this, Wufei's features were rigidly controlled and the only indication of his alarm was his raised eyebrows. "I'm suspended?" he retorted flatly.

"No, of course not," Lady Une replied, frowning. "I'm merely giving you a few days off from work. You deserve it anyway, after all the previous missions accomplished and your working over time for the past month. Surely you need the rest." When Wufei still didn't look too keen, she felt hastened to add, "If two weeks is too long for you, make it a week then."

Wufei hesitated, though now he didn't seem to disapprove the suggestion so much. "But what about the rest of my assignments?"

"I'll assign Trowa to fill in your shoes for the time being." Trowa raised an eyebrow. Lady Une regarded him with a wry smile. "Is that alright with you, Trowa?"

Trowa thought about it awhile, then he shrugged. "I have no objection. Besides, it's only a week. Two weeks, the most."

Lady Une nodded, satisfied. "Good. I'm also placing you in charge of 'damage control' and it must be effective immediately." Glancing at her wristwatch, she added absently, "Now, I have another appointment so I'll make this quick. I need you to prepare the necessary documents and bring them to my office tomorrow. Since you were the one who made these discoveries, I'm sure you're quite capable of providing the necessary remedies to cover the affected areas. I take it you're familiar with the procedure?"

"I'm aware of it."

"This may be a simple measure to cover up our errors but nonetheless, it is still very crucial. I need you to get this accomplished within two weeks. If there's any reason why you can't handle it, I need you to tell me now. Any problems whatsoever …."

Trowa drew in a deep breath to conceal his impatience. He just wanted to get this meeting over with. He had other emergencies to deal with after this. "There is no problem. I'll make this exclusively my work priority."

"Maybe it's not exactly a good idea for Barton to hold two positions at once," one of the members interrupted hesitantly. "No offence, Trowa. It's just that it's gonna be very stressful to do two things at once. Wufei's workload is burdening enough and to add 'damage control' in your list …"

"I said I'll do it."

Another member, Kent raised an eyebrow in amusement. "I think the question here is if you're capable of doing it." Trowa narrowed his eyes in irritation. Noticing this, Kent added hastily, "Hey, don't get me wrong. I'm not questioning your skills. I'm just wondering can you possibly handle all these in your condition, since you're distracted and all …"

Trowa appeared taken aback. "Distracted?"

"Yeah, I mean, you seem kinda different these past few days," Kent said lightheartedly, eyeing Trowa's expression. "Like you have a lot on your mind or like you'd rather be somewhere else. That kind of things. I don't think someone who has that kind of attitude is suitable to be handling a crucial task."

Trowa frowned. "That reason is not valid enough for you to doubt my credibility. I've never promised anything that I can't deliver."

"Well, you don't seem like yourself …"

"Whether I do or I don't, it will not have an effect on my work. But to answer your confusion of my mental state, I can tell you for certain it's doing much better than yours." Suddenly aware that he was becoming unnecessarily defensive, he leaned back and added nonchalantly, "Besides, I have no reason to be distracted."

Suddenly, the door burst opened, startling all of them as a raven haired girl stalked into the room and headed straight towards Trowa. "Trowa, you think you can just sleep with someone and not take your responsibility for it?!!! What kind of a man are you?!!"

How did he not see this coming?

Trowa maintained his composure but his body stiffened in response, the only indication of his alarm. But he did not move. He did not even dare to face the fiery priestess. Not until he regained at least a small measure of control, which seemed to have reduced immensely in the last five seconds. Kent's mouth dropped open, most likely mirroring the others' expression as well since Trowa had his gaze fixed solely at him, unable to get a good look at how the others were taking it. Better than he was, that he was sure. He could feel Rei's approach as she waited expectantly for him to say something. A moment of tensed silence fell over the room.

Clearing his throat, Trowa finally regarded Lady Une politely, keeping his tone smooth, impassive and without missing a beat, he said, "As I was saying, I have no reason to be distracted. Please excuse me for a minute while I take care of this unwanted guest." Without waiting for her approval, he immediately rose to his feet and dragged the squirming Rei by the arm to the door.

"What do you think you're doing?" Trowa demanded sternly once they were outside.

Rei yanked her arm back and scowled at him. "What do you think YOU'RE doing?!" she shot back. "I expected you to be in hiding by now. Didn't think you'd make it easy for us to find you but now that I have, don't you think you're going to get off so easily …."

"You almost cause me my job!" He didn't intend to sound so dramatic but there was a possibility of that happening. Not that he would get fired but he was very certain he would not get a promotion at this stage.

"Your job?" Rei cried incredulously. "Excuse me but if you get that bangs of yours chop off and open your eyes once in awhile, you would be able to see there's a real crisis here other than losing your job!"

Trowa was not impressed. "And losing the income to support the baby? I don't think so."

Rei hesitated and almost immediately, the scowl in her face and the scorn in her tone reduced to one of uncertainty and confusion. "What? But that's …"

"Not what you guys heard," Trowa finished in a bored tone, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. "Yes. Apparently that's been going around. No, I am not going to run out on her and yes, I know you've heard it from Minako's parents but you all are aware of my disposition within her family." He sighed inaudibly. "Now if you can just wait in my office until I'm done …."

"So are you going to marry her?" Rei appeared more astonished than uncertain at the prospect, rendering Trowa speechless.

And so, the horror continued.

The voices and murmurs in the conference room faded abruptly when Trowa entered. Pretending not to notice the expectant looks and grins from his colleagues, he went back to his seat, muttering an apology and refusing to meet anyone's gaze. Once in his seat, he turned expectantly to Lady Une, hoping his nonchalant attitude with dismiss any further probing on the previous event. Unlike the others, Wufei remained indifferent, understanding well enough that Trowa did not need any intrusion from his part.

Much to his chagrin, Lady Une appeared more amused than baffled. Which somehow had the effect of making Trowa squirmed inwardly and blushed a little.

"Well," Kent suddenly broke the silence, glancing around in amusement. "So much for distraction. At least someone's been getting some."

Trowa's eyes narrowed threateningly. "Don't start."

"You know, I gotta say, I'm a little relief," Kent went on as he perceived a chorus of snickers from the other members as encouragement. "I used to think that you were just, you know, weird. You've never batted an eye at any ladies before, not even men." He looked thoughtful for a minute. "Except maybe for Gary …"

"Alright enough," Lady Une intruded before Trowa was ready to jump at him. Then she regarded Trowa in amusement, albeit hesitantly. "Trowa, it's not entirely my place to question your personal affair and I'm very certain some of us in the HQ had gone through similar ordeal. But if it starts to get in the way of your job, I have to intervene."

"I understand that but that's not necessary because I have everything under control."

Suddenly, the door burst opened once more, this time almost dislocating the hinges. Suppressing the rising dread in his chest, Trowa's eyes widen when he realized who had walked into the room in his human form. None other than Minako's former feline guardian, Artemis. Trowa felt a surge of displeasure within him at the intrusion. Needless to say, the silver haired man's features were contorted in a scowl, his eyes blazing in fury as he met Trowa's gaze. Without missing a beat, he stalked towards Trowa as he instinctively rose to his feet partly in alarm.

"You think you can just sleep with anyone, get her pregnant and not marry her?!!!"

Before Trowa could even form an appropriate defense, the former white feline threw a fist at him, which eventually triggered a commotion for the next few minutes.

"Oh god, you guys!" Minako squealed in delight as she rushed over to hug her friends.

The tension in the air seemed to have broken the minute she entered the office. Trowa's features softened as he noted how happy Minako was to see her friends. Yet he was torn between contentment of her delightedness and jealousy since he was never able to assert this kind of reaction from her. At least not anymore.

The girls talked for awhile, exchanging brief pleasantries which bordered the main issue that brought them into this very building. Minako was currently stroking that darn white cat which had minutes ago gave him a light bruise on his lips before returning back to his feline form. Trowa would have so gladly trampled him if his mind hadn't rationalized the action of the angry guardian who, like the rest of her friends, was merely concerned about Minako's welfare. If Minako didn't care so much about her guardian, Trowa wouldn't have to feel the need to bluntly accept the assault. He had tried to explain the real situation but the girls, especially Artemis were not quite satisfied so he felt compelled to call Minako to put a stop to this ridiculous notion that he was trying to run away from his responsibility.

Minako's smile faded when she noticed Trowa's condition. Then, dropping Artemis to the floor, she rushed over to him.

"Trowa, what happened?" she demanded in concern, drawing out a hand as she tried to get a better look at the faint bruise at the corner of his lips. She gasped quietly as though it was such a horrific sight.

Trowa tried to fend her off, suddenly embarrassed at his lack of ability to defend himself from a minor assault. When her fingers brushed his skin, his breath caught in his throat. Somehow, his reaction was overwhelming when her touches were light and genuinely innocent.

"It looks terrible," Minako implied, flinching as she drew back. "What happened?" When Trowa didn't offer any explanation, she turned to her friends and demanded in astonishment, "You guys did this?"

"No, of course not," Ami quickly answered, exchanging guilty looks with the others. "We didn't lay a hand on him." Trowa narrowed his eyes in disbelief. Ami hesitated, biting her lower lip. "Well, perhaps we did get a little carried away. But we did not hit him."

"That's not important now," Rei intruded with a dismissive wave as she stepped over to Minako. "Now can you please explain to us what's going on?" Then, lowering her voice to a whisper, she added incredulously, "Are you really pregnant?"

Minako felt her body numbed with fear and she lowered her gaze guiltily to the floor before Trowa reached out to grasp her hand firmly. She looked up, startled to find a pair of green eyes gazing encouragingly at her. He remained silent, squeezing her hand in reassurance. Feeling a surge of strength from his grasp, she leveled her gaze bravely to meet Rei's puzzled look and announced clearly, "Yes, I am." Then, she repeated more confidently, "I'm pregnant."

Tears burned the back of her eyes at the effort it took to hold back. As the other occupants in the room, with the exception of Trowa, stared at her in a mixture of emotions that range from astonishment to sympathy, Minako felt her strength slowly began to desert her. All of a sudden, Rei turned her face away, concealing her inner feelings towards the confrontation. At that point, Minako felt her heart breaking and the tears threatened to spill. Suddenly, the fiery priestess turned back to her, her features sympathetic as she immediately grabbed Minako in a tight embrace. Minako gasped at the contact, forcing Trowa to let go of her hand as she hugged her friend back in uncertainty.

"Why didn't you tell us sooner?" Rei demanded brokenly. "Don't you trust us?"

Minako swallowed the lump in her throat and admitted, "I-I didn't think you guys would accept."

Usagi stepped over as the two broke apart. "Mina," she said gently, taking Minako's hands in hers. "We're your friends. You didn't think we will desert because of this wonderful news, did you? We'll support you whatever you decide and if you decide to keep the baby, then you can count on us! That's why we came storming into this building to force Trowa to take the responsibility. There's no way we'll let him do this to you."

A piercing sweetness flooded through Minako, washing away her defenses until her chin quivered. With that, she finally surrendered to the harsh, racking sobs that had been screaming for release since the burden of her predicament thrust upon her.

Trowa felt a surge of tenderness swept over him at the sight of her outburst and he was tempted to reach out and hold her in his arms. But her friends had clamored around her immediately, giving him no more than glimpses of her trembling smile as they fussed over her. The only one who wasn't exactly overwhelmed with excitement was Artemis. As Minako hugged him to her chest, he murmured some reassurance to her, making certain she acknowledged his support regardless of the absurdity of her situation but between his murmurs and chuckles, he cast Trowa a scowl, clearly directing the blame of her predicament to him. Trowa, who had his attention directed exclusively to Minako, was unaware of Artemis's look of disdain.

"Minako!" Makoto cried, laughing and feigning a horrified look. "I know it's alright to let out your emotions once in awhile but this excessive crying can't be good for the baby."

Minako giggled, brushing away the remaining tears and her sobs eventually subsided into light sniffles.

"I can't believe you're pregnant," Usagi gushed happily, placing a hand on Minako's tummy. "How many months has it been?"

"Usagi, you won't be able to feel the baby for another couple of months," Ami pointed out, chuckling. "From the looks of it, it must be about two months old."

"It is," Minako replied, beaming proudly and her radiance, Trowa couldn't doubt, derived from her maternity glow. "I can't tell you guys how much I appreciate you all coming here. There's so much we need to catch up on …"

"Of course, starting with how you got yourself into this and ending with how you're going to handle it," Artemis said half jokingly, which had the effect of dampening their spirit.

Minako sobered a little. "Artemis, it's going to be alright. I mean, I know it's going to be very difficult especially without my parents around but Trowa's here to help, too. And it's not like I don't have any plans. I've already started to look for a new place to stay." Then, her features lit up as she added proudly, "And I've a fantastic plan for my career, too. What do you think, a reality TV show, with me as a twenty year-old single mother striving to raise my baby in this cold world?"

Although Trowa's composure did not reflect any reaction, he was horrified at the suggestion of her life, which he had decided would definitely include him, exposed to the pleasures of the viewers at home. The girls exchanged uncertain glances with one another, seemingly to share similar revelations, then regarded her with polite murmurs of consideration. While appreciating their support for Minako's welfare, Trowa mentally pleaded that one of them would talk some senses into her. Fortunately, someone did.

"Um, Minako, I don't think you thought this through," Artemis implied softly.

Minako looked confused. "People keep saying that …"

Seizing the moment before anyone could steal her attention away, Trowa hastily demanded, "You're searching for a new place?"

Minako nodded affirmatively and scowled. "Yea, it seems like I have to. Erica seem to be spending a lot of time with her boyfriend over these past few weeks."

"So you decided to move out because you're losing a roommate?" Rei asked.

"No, it seems more like I'm gaining one. Literally. He's already moved in with us. I can't raise in baby in an environment where people kept playing 'horizontal' in the kitchen area."

Usagi looked disgusted. "Ew …"

"Wait, doesn't Quatre has some contacts?" Makoto inquired, regarding Trowa. "For a big, corporate guy like himself surely must have some intimate relations with some landlords somewhere."

"I'm not sure," he admitted. "You can try to check with him but if I recall correctly, he's in one of his business trip and you won't be able to reach him until he returns."

Minako waved her hand dismissively. "No big deal. I've found some potential apartments and maybe I'll check them out tomorrow or whenever I'm available …"

"Would you mind reserving your time tomorrow for me?" Trowa suddenly inquired.  
Minako looked genuinely surprise. For a split second, it dawned on her that Trowa might want to ask her out and her heart leaped in joy as soon as that thought entered her head. Almost beaming in excitement which she struggled to contain, she replied as casually as she could muster, "Well, I was suppose to have a photo shoot later after class but I think I might be able to take off early." While mentally making a note to cancel her lunch date with her agent which was supposed to follow up after the shoot, she added nonchalantly, "Why?"

"We're going to see a doctor."  
Her excitement deflated, she gave him a confused look. Then, understanding dawned on her. Sighing and mentally nurturing her disappointment, she told him soothingly, "Look, Trowa, I know this must have hurt. I mean, it looks terrible. I can imagine the pain." Her fingers brushed his slightly bruised lips, startling the man. "And it's partly my fault, I know. I'm sorry. But you don't have to see a doctor for it, least of all if you need me to hold your hand there. I mean, it did nothing to affect your good looks. It's nothing that a good bucketful of ice couldn't fix."

Trowa was torn between laughing at her misunderstanding and beaming proudly at her compliment. As he struggled to keep a straight face, Artemis, who obviously caught his meaning, sighed helplessly and told her, "I think he meant the baby, Minako."

Minako blinked, then catching Trowa's meaningful gaze, she blushed in embarrassment. "Oh …."  
"I'll call you tomorrow to confirm the appointment," he said in a tone which Minako couldn't doubt was full of amusement. "I think it's time you girls head back to the hotel." Then, regarding Minako with a faint smile, he added almost tenderly, "You better get some rest."

Minako gazed at him, somehow caught by the affection in his voice and the flicker of warmth in his eyes. As they prepared to leave, a familiar angry voice bellowed in the distance, "What the heck happened to my door?!"

Bubbles of laughter floated faintly in the hotel room, punctuated by cries of horrified excitement and even more infectious giggles. Despite the lateness of the night and Trowa's advice to turn in immediately, the girls were clustered around the room in various positions, chatting excitedly while sharing a box of chocolates. Luna, who had stayed in the hotel room while the others pursued Trowa, was curled up comfortably with Artemis on one of the beds. Both had long ago given up trying to persuade the girls to sleep so they decided to stay up with them instead.

Minako plopped onto the floor with a box of chocolate and regarded Ami with astonishment, "A conference? So you're here for some medical conference? That's why you flew all the way from England?" Feigning a horrified expression, she added tearfully, "But I thought you were here to see me."

Ami giggled and looked up from the file she was reading at the nearby desk. "I am here to see you. I am seeing you right now, aren't I? It just so happened this medical conference is scheduled within the same time the others plan to see you."

Minako looked thoughtful. "So it's kind of like throwing two stones at a bird. How convenient."

Ami gave her an uncertain smile. "I think you mean, hitting two birds with one stone …"

"Doesn't matter what she meant, we're here to see her," Usagi exclaimed dismissively, throwing an arm around Minako for a quick hug. "God, I'm so glad to see you. I know conducting this reunion was a good idea."

"It could have been conducted better if you have actually remembered where her apartment was," Rei implied in annoyance on the bed. "Instead of leading us in a wild goose chase around the city at least twice before finally declaring we were lost. The least we could have done was call her for directions."

"If I remember correctly, you were leading us around half of the time," Usagi retorted indignantly. "And I told you before, we can't call her because this was suppose to be a surprise for her birthday!" As soon as the words poured out, her eyes widen and her hand instantly flew to her mouth, glancing frantically at the others in desperation. Ami could only afford a soft chuckle while Rei slapped her forehead in frustration. The felines were sporting a sweatdrop at the side of their temple, shaking their head in resignation.

"It's suppose to be a surprise?" Minako interrupted, unable to contain her pleasure as she glanced from one girl to the other. "You guys, that's so sweet! You all flew all the way here to celebrate my twenty-first birthday?! I think I'm going to cry!"

Makoto emerged from the bathroom in time to hear her last comment and chuckled when Rei cast a glare at Usagi. "I guess we completely blew that one out, huh? So much for our plan to sneak into her apartment and plan a surprise party."

Usagi regarded Minako with an apologetic smile. "Well, we wanted to celebrate your birthday a little earlier because we won't be able to be here on the actual date. Since we can't contact you and all, we have to use others means to locate you." She cast Rei a scowl. "But of course, half of the time we were more concerned with our whereabouts."

Rei sneered at her. "And going to her parents' was the best solution you could come up with?"

"It's better than your plan," Usagi cried indignantly. "Surprising her in college? Hah, we don't even know where her apartment is! And what good is it if you can read fires but you can't read a map? You have a lousy sense of direction."

"I do not!" Rei protested, her fist slamming onto the mattress.

"Well, whose idea was it to barge into the Preventers building in search for Trowa?" Usagi demanded haughtily.

Rei scowled. "What does that have anything to do with sense of direction?"

"You're right, in addition to possessing a lousy sense of direction, it only prove that you're just senseless in other things," Usagi said, rolling her eyes.

Rei's body went rigid with defiant and she glared at Usagi who merely stuck her tongue out at the fiery priestess. Sensing that another round of argument would ensue, Makoto and Ami interrupted with nervous smiles and soothing remarks, hoping to appease the situation. Artemis and Luna sighed helplessly as they watched the same situation unfolded in front of them, just as it usually did back then. It was so common that no one was really worried of the severity of the argument or even the implications of it. The relationship between Usagi and Rei was automatically comprehended by them.

Minako observed their childish antique with a surge of nostalgic, smiling fondly as memories began to replay in her mind. Perhaps it was her pregnancy hormone that increased her sensitivity towards the occasion or perhaps she simply missed her friends but what was clear, their timing couldn't have been more perfect. Her chest constricted with so much emotions she couldn't help welling up.

"Minako!" Ami suddenly exclaimed in astonishment when she noticed her friend's outburst, ending the argument abruptly and causing the whole room to tense in expectation.

"Minako, are you alright?" Usagi cried urgently, rushing over to her. "Is the baby hurting?"

"Minako, what's the matter?" Artemis demanded in concern, suddenly materializing at her side.

But neither received any answers and Minako's head shaking was the only indication to assure them that she was alright. After a moment, her cries eventually dissolved into sniffles and she finally gave them a weak smile and giggled, brushing the remaining tears away. "I'm sorry, it's just that …." She drew in a deep breath to collect herself and hold back her tears. Then, she finally managed to choke out, "I'm so glad you're all here!"

Their bodies sagged with relief and they exchanged warm smiles.

"So, Minako," Makoto suddenly exclaimed. "How's life in the limelight? I see you haven't change your image a bit, despite being one of those 'up and coming young stars'."

Minako snorted. "Don't be ridiculous. I'm lucky enough to still be in this field. Being a part time model and actress isn't as easy as you think, not when there's so many younger models rising up to stardom and stealing all those prestigious contracts. As if that's not hard enough." Her face darkened in despair when another thought toyed with her mind. Much to her dismay, she had almost completely forgotten about the baby and the major impact it would have on her career. However, not wanting to worry her friends and refusing to dwell in that worrying state, she quickly fastened a noncommittal smile.

Ami caught the doubts flickered in Minako's eyes and observed the immediate change in her friend's demeanor. "Still, you seem to be doing much better than we last saw you," she said gently, as if to comfort Minako of her troubling mind.

"That's right," Artemis agreed warmly. "Hasn't it always been your dream to be an idol? This is by far, the closest thing you ever got to it. At least you're no longer running loose in the city trying to get into auditions."

Minako looked offended. "I'm still doing that …"

Artemis blinked, then lowered his head sheepishly. "Oh …"

"It's not easy to secure a part, you know," Minako said with a sigh. "And I can't say I've achieved my dream. I mean, I don't even feel close to it. To be honest with you, this isn't exactly what I imagined being an idol would be."

"What do you mean?" Usagi asked, drawing closer to her friend. "What did you imagine it would be?"

Minako studied them thoughtfully, then a wistful smile touched her lips. "That people would recognize me when I walk down the street and ask for an autograph. Or having a flock of medias chasing after me. You know, things like that," she said with a giggle. Then, she sobered a little. "I know the road to stardom is not going to be smooth but I just didn't realize it would be that rough. But I guess it's a good thing I didn't get so far. I mean, I have a baby to think about now." She brightened up immediately, emitting an air of confidence she didn't really feel. "It's gonna be fun dressing the baby up and playing with her and changing her diaper. Well, I've never actually babysit a baby before but my cousin did it and it look so easy …"

"Minako, I gotta ask," Usagi intruded gently. "Are you and Trowa planning on getting together?"

Minako raised her eyebrows, stunned at the blatant inquiry. Then she glanced around the room, only to realize that everyone was waiting expectantly for her answer. "What?" she blurted out with forced joviality, blinking in surprise and fighting the increasing trepidation over her future. "Why should we? I mean, we're only having a baby together …" Her tone faltered drastically as she searched desperately for an appropriate respond that would not reflect poorly on her position. "I mean, we didn't exactly plan this ….It just happened. It doesn't mean anything. And it's not like we're legally joined in the bonds of holy matrimony."  
"But why aren't you?" Luna asked quietly, seemingly more curious than in a manner to reprimand.

"Yea, Trowa didn't quite explain to us about that part," Rei spoke up, receiving collective nods from Usagi, Makoto and Ami.

Minako shrugged. "I'm not sure. The topic never pops up. Then again, he didn't seem like the type that wants to be tied down by a kid so can we blame him for not bringing it up? At least he wants to be a part of this baby's life."

Artemis didn't look convinced. "Alright, we'll give him credit for that. But what about your future?"

"It's taken care of," Minako answered, asserting just enough enthusiasm to convince her friends. "I'm still planning to complete my studies. And my career is still ongoing. The only thing that might prove to be a minor drawback is this apartment issue and also, the baby. But Trowa's always babysitting his niece and nephew so he's going to be great with the baby. So, that just leaves the apartment."

Artemis still didn't look convinced. "Minako, babysitting three year-old twins for three hours is very different from raising an infant. What if he starts to neglect the baby?"

"No, he won't. H-he's not like that …" Her voice trailed in uncertainty as the possibility dawned on her.

"Trowa's constantly out on a mission, isn't he?" Makoto pointed out suddenly. "Wouldn't that be difficult, since he's not around that much? If he's not on a mission, he's surely to be working fanatically in the headquarter."

Minako felt the knot in her stomach tightened in dread, unable her to formulate a response. Trowa might be around lately but once he received a mission, he could leave without a word and be gone for months without any contact. Maybe even for years. She remembered the countless times when he was assigned to complete some mission in outer space and how sick with worry she had been when she didn't hear anything from him. She couldn't afford to feel that way anymore, not when she had a baby to think about and worrying about his safety was certainly going to be a major distraction for her. But then, who would help her out? Would she be able to handle the baby on her own? What if Trowa had to leave for a mission in the first few weeks, or worst, days after the baby was born? How would she cope with it?  
As her mind battled, her friends conversations swirled around her in a messy heap.

"Who's going to take care of the baby when you're at work and Trowa's on a mission? You can't possibly trust day-care centers these days and I wouldn't count on hiring a babysitter, either."

"Maybe your parents can help out …"

"You meatball head, she's not speaking to them, remember?"

"Oh. Gomen (sorry)."

"… I heard the cost of raising a child has increased in the past couple of years and you simply have to start saving for your baby's college now."

"… start thinking about how exactly you plan to raise the baby. What sort of environment would you like her to be raised in …"

"… surely it's going to demand a lot of your time and effort …"

"… the bills, the apartment rent and the living arrangement for the nursery …."

"… expensive baby products …"

"Okay!" Minako exclaimed with a shaky smile. She drew in a trembling breath and forced herself to remain calm and collected, an impossible feat since she appeared more and more disorientated. "I-I understand what you're all saying …" She forced a chuckle. "I know sacrifices have to be made and I-I'll worry about them once the baby arrives."

"Minako, we're sorry," Ami said, exchanging guilty looks with the others. "We didn't mean to pressure you …"

"I know you're all concern," Minako managed to choke out, swallowing the lump in her throat as she tried to console her friends, although, in truth, she was trying to convince herself. "But I told you, I've everything taken care of. It's going to be hard, I know that, but I …I just don't see the point of worrying about it until the time comes."

Makoto hesitantly inquired, "What about your life? I mean, since you're not marrying him, does it make it alright for you to date someone else?"

Minako was silence for awhile, then she shrugged helplessly. "I don't know," she admitted wearily. "I guess so ..."

"Then, maybe you should consider dating him," Rei implied.

"Yea," Usagi chimed in excitedly, her eyes sparkling. "You had a crush on him before. Isn't there at least a little spark left for him? A tiny fire that might eventually ignite into a burning flame?"

Minako ignored the tugging in her heart as she forced out a weak smile and mentally dismissed the appealing notion of dating Trowa. "I suppose there is a little spark left but it's exclusively reserved for friendship. And now, of course, for the baby. But that doesn't change anything." Then, she let out a horrified laughter. "Guys, it's been about two years and I've been going on dates in between then. I don't feel strongly for him anymore."

"I think you should still try," Ami suggested quietly.

"If it didn't work on him before, what makes you think it's going to work on him now?" Minako exclaimed in exasperation. "Don't say it's because of the baby, 'cause that's an even trickier situation than before. And it's unfair for the both of us." Her expression suddenly grew solemn and she expelled her breath in a rush of apprehension. "I don't want to get together with him simply because I happened to be carrying his baby. It's not fair for him …It's just … You know what, can we not talk about this? I know everything will work out but right now, I-I just need to ….take this baby thing one step at a time." Without meeting anyone's gazes, she rose to her feet and muttered something about going to the bathroom.

After they heard the bathroom door closed and the sound of water running, Usagi turned to the others and said worriedly, "Guys, I really think we should do something to help her."

"I agree," Rei jumped in immediately. "We should exchange our schedules and see who can drop by each month to help her out once the baby comes. I mean, I know Minako can take care of herself and all but she really needs all the help she can get, especially after her last attempt with her cousin's baby…"

"Now, wait a minute," Artemis interjected, frowning in disapproval. "That was an accident. She was only trying to put the baby to sleep. Besides, the doctor said the bump on the kid's head wasn't severe and he could recite his alphabet just fine. At least his first few words hadn't been from the four-letter variety like Duo accidentally instilled in Trowa's nephew."  
Usagi rose to her feet as her eyes widen in excitement and exclaimed, "No, I mean, we could help Minako and Trowa get together!" She anticipated the stunned look on their faces and waited expectantly for a burst of encouragement which should follow up after that. But all of them merely stared at her in dumbfounded.

"No," Artemis replied, his tone threatening and filled with dread once he recognized the mischievous glint in Usagi's eyes. "I know what you're thinking and no, we cannot interfere in her life. It'll only make things worst."

"How will it make things worst?" Usagi demanded in exasperation, placing her hands on her hips.

"Because what you're planning to do contradicts her decision," Artemis snapped, scowling. "She already decided she didn't want to be with Trowa and we're suppose to be supportive of that!"

"Actually, Artemis, she didn't say that at all." Artemis and Usagi turned questioningly to Makoto, who merely gave them a wry smile. "They didn't exactly talk about their relationship, remember? And you guys saw the look on her face. The poor girl's confused and the fact that she didn't protest to the idea of dating him tells a lot, doesn't it? So technically, she hasn't made a clear decision yet."

Artemis's eyes widen in disbelief. "Are you saying the idea of intervening in Minako's life is appealing to you?"

Makoto's reply was interrupted by Ami's hesitant reply, "It couldn't hurt, could it?"

That was all the encouragement Rei needed to join in, "Not a bad idea." She turned to give Usagi an approving smile. "I think that's the best idea you ever came up. I'm surprise."

"This is gonna be fun," Makoto exclaimed, clapping her hands together in glee. "Finally, a chance to get back at her for that blind date she set me up with. We'll show her that she's not the only matchmaker around."

Rei looked puzzled. "But I thought you ended up dating that guy for a few months …"

"I know. It's my way of paying her back."

"But this isn't right!" Artemis protested indignantly, glancing from one Senshi to another. "She will never agree to this!"

"She doesn't have to know," Usagi said with a dismissive wave to ease his concern. When Artemis didn't seem convince, she persisted patiently, "Artemis, they're going to be tied together in the future anyway, whether they like it or not. They might as well like it and start thinking about spending the rest of their lives together. Because frankly, it's still going to happen anyway. And we're only trying to show them how wonderful and much easier the future will be if they're a couple."

Artemis scowled and turned away, hating the truth ringing in her words. His gaze incidentally met Luna's empathic ones, which had the immediate effect of smoothing his frazzled nerves a little. He always depended on Luna to be the voice of reason when it came to complex and personal situations like this. However, much to his consternation, Luna didn't seem hasten to object to this idea.

"You're actually agreeing with them?" he demanded, half in astonishment.

Luna shrugged, a wry smile plastered on her face. "It's worth a try."

**Preview for next chapter:**

"Duo, I understand why you're upset," Trowa began gently, holding his hands up in a truce as he slowly raised to his feet. "But I think you should seat down first before we …"

"How could you do this to me?!" Duo yelled, startling Trowa and Heero at the intensity of the situation. "I thought we're friends! You kept this from me for so long, you didn't think I'd find out, did you?! You think I wouldn't find out the truth!"


	6. Chapter 6

SWEET BLISS 

**CHAPTER SIX**

"Here's the ACD investigation report Wufei's been working on," Heero said as he placed the stack of files gingerly at what little space available on the desk, almost toppling another pile of neatly stacked assignments. Trowa looked away from his computer screen just in time to acknowledge Heero's arrival. "He has most of it done so it shouldn't take too long for you to finish it. The research materials are all in there."

Trowa peered at it with vague distaste before dragging his gaze back to Heero's expectant ones. "You do realize now that your mission in outer space is accomplished, you and Noin are obligated to take half of Wufei's share of work BACK, right?"

"We did. This is what's left of Wufei's work."

Trowa studied the stacks of papers and files and other miscellaneous documents scattered on his desk long enough to send back a clear message to Heero. "Somehow I find that very hard to believe."

Heero raised an eyebrow. "I find it even harder to believe that you're actually complaining. You're going to give us former Gundam pilots a bad name if you can't handle a little paper work."

"I would agree with you but this ..." Trowa motioned the entire workload cluttering on his desk with his head. "… doesn't exactly qualify for 'little'. You wanna know what gives us Gundam pilots a bad name? The lack of capacity to endure Duo's special homemade beverages and pass out from it."

Heero suddenly grew defensive and he instinctively straightened himself. "Not enough trainings in the world can ever prepare the toughest soldier for that. At least I manage to hold up to two shots. You and Wufei took less than a small glass."

"We were smart enough to foretell a similar fate if we took more than one shot glass."

"Was that before or after you both threw up?"

Trowa shrugged. "At least we didn't end up in the emergency room. Who knew Quatre had a weak stomach?"

Heero nodded grimly. "And those things weren't even alcoholic. That reminds me, have you talked to Duo?"

"I didn't see him this morning. Why?"

"Well, would you mind speed up the process of breaking the news of your impending fatherhood?" Trowa lifted an eyebrow. "Lady Une's contemplating pairing you and Duo up for a mission next month. By telling him soon, it will help reduce the element of surprise from affecting the case." Heero paused, then much to Trowa's chagrin, he smirked. "Normally I would not so much as blink to some random office gossips but after what I heard in what I can only described as a lewd version of the actual event, I'm genuinely curious to know what exactly happened here last night."

Trowa's features hardened in annoyance. "I don't find it amusing at all to be ambushed in my own office and assaulted in front of the staffs. In fact, I find this an offence so serious I've lodged a complaint for the lack of security in the building and sent a draft proposal for the extension of video surveillance."

"Draft proposal?"

"As you can see, I didn't have that much time to complete the actual proposal," Trowa replied indignantly.

"Well, that explains the fat lip," Heero pointed out knowingly. "But you should start thinking about how to break the news to Duo. We can't afford anymore distraction, especially not after the last mission failure. From the rate it's going, it's highly likely he's going to hear about last night's event soon. You realize that, don't you?"

"Of course," Trowa replied absently. "But since he was sent for some urgent mission this morning and effectively grant me some time to stall the moment, I wouldn't worry so much about it yet."

"Do what you think is best, as long as it doesn't affect both of your performance. I should warn you, though, not to underestimate the power of communication."  
Trowa looked doubtful. "That incident fortunately happened in front of a group of people who are perfectly capable of keeping personal information of other people's lives private. Even if word gets out, it's unlikely Duo would have heard about it."

Before Heero could answer, the door suddenly burst opened and Duo came striding in. His expression was impassive but there was a definite scowl edged in his features. His cobalt blue eyes locked with Trowa's immediately and he didn't even acknowledge Heero's presence once he stopped across Trowa's desk.

"Trowa, I heard about it."

Crap.

His voice was so low and menacing that it sent shivers down Trowa's spine. Which was saying a lot since no one had ever gave him such an effect before. Except that one time when his niece accidentally spilled some ice cream on his back. But still, he didn't realize Duo was capable of sending him such a threatening glance and that made him uneasy. To say the least.

Heero, although he managed to maintain a straight face, hesitantly spoke up, "Duo, I thought you were on a mission."

"I was," Duo said through gritted teeth, his gaze still fixed solely at Trowa. "But then I heard this buzzing office rumor about SOME PEOPLE and I simply have to demand an explanation." Regarding Trowa, he said coldly, "Would you care to explain yourself, Trowa?"  
Trowa cringed inwardly at the sharp edge in Duo's tone and he was torn. He couldn't possible choose between one of his closest friends and the one woman he wanted to be with. But it was indeed reasonable for Duo to be this upset, his mind suddenly rationalized. After all, it was against every code of masculine behavior to date a friend's ex. At least, from what he was told …

Usually in situations like this, Heero would prefer to leave the relevant parties to settle the disputes in ways they see fit and preferred very much not to witness this confrontation, particularly the consequence that would follow up after that. However, since any potential death or grievous injuries would involve one, if not two, of his closest friends and a valuable member of the headquarter, he had to make sure there would be no bloodshed in this building. Trowa's absence would prove to be detrimental to the efficiency of the headquarter and it would be far too late to find a new best man that would fit in Duo's tuxedo. Therefore, like it or not, he had to stay and ensure that each of them would come out of the room alive.

"Duo, I understand why you're upset," Trowa began gently, holding his hands up in a truce as he slowly rose to his feet. "But I think you should seat down first before we …"

"How could you do this to me!" Duo yelled, startling Trowa and Heero at the severity of the situation. "I thought we're friends! You kept this from me for so long, you didn't think I find out, did you! You think I wouldn't find out the truth!"

For a minute there, Trowa thought Duo would leap forward and strangle him but when he studied his friend closely, he realized Duo was too upset to even formulate such a reasonable action. And this knowledge only served to heighten his guilt. Unfortunately, he knew what must be done. He had to tell him now, even if their friendship would be seriously jeopardized. Somewhere, a tiny part of him consoled him by reminding the many times when their friendship had been at risk before. Like the times when he punched Duo and had him locked up in a cold, dark prison cell and then there was the time he tried to deceive the enemies under the pretext of killing his friends. It had been eight years since then and even so, Trowa could not rule out the possibility that Duo might still hold a grudge about that. If he did, then now would certainly be a reasonable moment to act out on it.

"Duo, it's not my intention to keep …"

"Well, you are wrong!" Duo interrupted and Trowa winced. "Because I asked Nancy the truth and it turns out that she's gay, she's totally the opposite of straight, and that she's seeing some Lisa from the security department. Hah! What do you think of that!"

Trowa's countenance cracked at that point as horrified confusion replaced his dignified features.

"Say what?"

Duo plopped on the seat across from Trowa and raised his chin smugly. All of a sudden, Duo's presence didn't seem so menacing anymore and he sensed the air of congeniality slowly began to emerge from his friend. "You heard me," he exclaimed triumphantly, his lips curled into a smug smile. "You lied to me about dating Nancy and I found out the truth."

"Nancy?"

Trowa heard Heero echoed in astonishment and he could even feel the Perfect Soldier's stare burning the side of his temple and at the same time, bringing Trowa's romantic/tragic love life to a whole new level of hilarity. It took Trowa a frozen moment to comprehend what Duo was trying to say. Then, he remembered. In his desperation to get Duo to stop pestering him about his so-called 'unrequited love' with some girl yesterday, he had blurted out the first name that came into his mind and he didn't even know who Nancy was or if there was such person in the building (apparently there was) but it did effectively send Duo happily on his way and most importantly, out of his office.

"Oh, that …"

Trowa could only stare at Duo in dumbfounded. He couldn't decide whether he was relieved or plainly annoyed at Duo's exaggerated approach. He shot Heero an uncertain glance, to which Heero responded by giving him an irritated look. Clearly, Heero did not appreciate Duo's deception as well.

"Yes, that," Duo replied as he looked up at Trowa. "I was on my way out when I heard this rumor about some 'strange' noises coming from the photocopy room. So, naturally, I went down there to, you know, investigate, since it is in my department …"

"The room is located IN your floor," Heero suddenly corrected him in annoyance. "And as much as I hate the thought of that room to be the breeding of illegal office scandals, among other things, I am obligated to inform you, this sort of intervention has never been and never will be within your field of expertise." He turned swiftly to Trowa and added in vague disgust, "We have got to upgrade the security system around here." Between his bafflement and annoyance, Trowa managed to give Heero a nod.

"Hey, it's partly in the art of espionage," Duo retorted indignantly. "That, and a basic knowledge of picking." He then regarded Trowa. "Anyway, I found Nancy making out with some chick in that room and I though to myself, she was cheating on you and with a girl, no less. But when she begged me not to tell Lisa, that was my first clue that something was not right. So, there you have it." He slammed a palm on Trowa's desk, causing a pile of neatly stacked papers to scatter. "I know you lied. You're not going out with Nancy."

Trowa blinked. Then, his body sagged in partly in relief and he carefully slid back into his chair, his slow, deliberate movement still mirrored his cautiousness and uncertainty. Staring at Duo for awhile in deep contemplation, he finally leaned back in his seat and said hesitantly, "You …got me."

"I knew it," Duo said smugly with a nod. "I mean, even before this, I knew you couldn't score with a chick like Nancy."

Forgetting momentarily the gravity of the situation, Trowa got offended. "Neither could you."

Duo rolled his eyes. "Yeah, but that's because I thought she was straight."

Trowa raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying you would be more successful if she wasn't?"

A wayward smile lifted the corner of Duo's lips. The twinkle in his eyes seemed to have stemmed from a memory. "Well," he said modestly. "Not exactly successful in that term but I've been around a LOT… "

Heero and Trowa mentally gaped at him but the only indication of their horror was the slight widening of their eyes. Then, not wanting to breed anymore obscene images or even consider other possibilities of what Duo had meant, Trowa quickly blurted, "What about your mission?"

"Oh, Kent just needs his daily fix, if you can call that a mission," Duo said dismissively, then he added in annoyance, "Apparently the coffee machine broke down this morning and I was on my way for a coffee break so he asked …no, actually, he ORDERED me to get him one. I wouldn't have agreed if he didn't have that crazy look in his eyes. I mean, what's his problem anyway? It's only 'damage control'. It's not like he's in charge of the army. And he has many people working under him so he can get all the help he needs. It's barely a day since he took control and it already seems like he's gonna lose it any minute now."

"Not many people are accustomed to the intricate dealings of the aftermath of a mission failure," Trowa pointed out.

"Exactly. And I thought Lady Une would have enough sense to delegate the honor to you. I wouldn't be surprise if he had anything to do with the broken coffee machine and Wufei's dismantled door." Trowa's expression remained neutral but his heart did leap for a minute there. Duo shook his head as he added in sympathy, "The poor guy. And poor Wufei. I knew Wufei was losing grip on sanity. The signs are all there. I mean, who could blame him? The last mission was a tough one, indeed. Anyone would want to break their doors to shred with that kind of pressure."

Then, as though finally aware of the outstanding amount of paperwork gathered around Trowa's desk, piling so high that offered very little vision of Trowa's head, Duo blinked in astonishment. "Wow, Trowa, seriously? These whole stacks are your responsibility?" Duo interpreted Trowa's silence as a 'yes' and added, "No wonder you were keen enough to lie to me just to get me out of your way yesterday. I've never seen so many paperwork and references in a room before. Except, maybe in Quatre's office."

"Alright," Heero interrupted as he regained his usual detached expression when dealing with office matters. "If there's no further 'urgency', both of you should get back to work. Duo, I need that report on my desk after lunch and no more delays this time, understood?" Before he proceeded to leave, his eyes met Trowa in a knowing glance. Trowa caught his look and immediately understood his meaning. Obviously he would have to take care of this unfinished business some other time.

Duo rolled his eyes and added sarcastically as he raised to his feet, "Yes, Commander Yui, as you have so kindly reminded me today, yesterday and the day before in at least twenty of those memos. Thank you." Once Heero left the room, Duo paused at the doorway and turned to Trowa, "Hey, since we haven't hang out with the guys in weeks and I heard Quatre's back from some business trip, what say we go grab some lunch at that hideous Japanese restaurant you and Heero love so much?"

Trowa hesitated. "Mind if I take a rain check? I have an urgent appointment which I can't miss."

Duo shrugged his shoulders. "Alright, that's cool. How about dinner tonight then?"

Trowa was about to comply until he remembered he had another engagement that night. "Not tonight." When Duo gave him a puzzled look, he drew in a weary breath and explained, "I have plans and no, it's not a date," he quickly added as Duo opened his mouth. "It's just another appointment…"

"One that you can't miss either?" Duo inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"No, I can. I would prefer to, actually. It's just that …" Trowa's gaze slid briefly towards the brochure hidden beneath a large file next to him, one which read 'Alcoholic Anonymous'. Quatre's face flashed across his mind and he mentally sighed, recalling the promise he made to his friend. So valuable was Quatre's friendship to him that he treasured even the darkest moments in the war when they had to work together, so in love he was with Quatre's cousin that he was prepared to do almost anything to allay Quatre's doubts about his intentions. And unfortunately, so concern was Quatre for his friend's well being and so burdened with guilt for supplying the means for Trowa to indulge in his nonexistent drinking problem, he had insisted that Trowa got some help as soon as possible because according to Quatre, he would not want to be a poor role model for his child. Never mind the fact that he had been involved in many deadly battles and killed quite a number of people in the past, had previously posed as a threat for piloting one of the most dangerous mobile suits in the universe and was almost completely incapable of expressing himself when he had not been drinking (at least until he heard about his impending fatherhood). The fact that he was caught drunk, albeit involuntarily on one of the rarest occasions was apparently an extremely serious problem which required profession help.

Trowa finally shifted his gaze to meet Duo's puzzled eyes and he stifled another weary sigh at the thought of the next few hours being spent listening to some stranger consoling and counseling him about his nonexistent problem. "It's just that I promise someone I would make it to this appointment."

Minako was unusually silent in the car as they made their journey back home after the doctor's appointment. Unlike Trowa who seemed indifferent, though evidently relaxed that the baby was doing alright (at least that was what she thought, unaware that he was simply relieved that there was really their baby growing inside of her), Minako appeared more and more apprehensive after the appointment. Since last night, she had been trying to shut out the increasing doubts about her decision and forcing herself to accept the idea that being a single mother certainly had its drawbacks but it would not effectively ruin her life. However later day, she found more reasons to increase her worries. Aside from the fact that her photographer had made a passing comment about how she was gaining a little bit of weight, she also found it difficult to ignore the feeling that anyone who laid eyes on her would undoubtedly notice her sleaziness for getting drunkenly 'knocked up' at a 'wild' party and silently chastise her for not wearing any protection even in her drunken state. All these and combined with the sudden realization that she lacked sufficient maternal knowledge were enough to give her a nervous breakdown.

Which explained why she was heavily reluctant to make the trip for the doctor's appointment. She did not want to face another slap from reality that she was about to be a mother. It was one thing to accept responsibility for accidentally bringing a child into this world, yet it was an entirely different thing altogether to actually 'accept' the notion of raising another human being. Her mind was completely filled with apprehension and doubts that she could hardly feel anything when she first saw the sonogram of her child and the only reprieve she got from her mental onslaughts was the momentary confusion as she wondered why was there a peanut in her belly (which she struggled to remember if she had had any for lunch), only to discover that the 'peanut' was, in fact, her baby. Trowa had held her hand in encouragement throughout the appointment and he seemed genuinely pleased to be there as he stared in quiet awe at the screen. Minako, on the other hand, was ready to bolt out the door, unable to accept the final blow of her maternal deformity for failing to even recognize her own baby. That, and combined with her earlier sense of maternal failure had reduced her to a state of paralyzed fear in the first few minutes after she was informed the present state of the 'peanut' in her belly. She spent the next few minutes gasping for air and at the verge of hyperventilation. All of which she had managed to conceal beneath a fixed yet dangerously bordering insane smile that was supposed to be the result of an overexcited mother-to-be upon catching a glimpse of her baby. She thought it was pretty convincing since the doctor had politely smile at her and Trowa didn't say anything, possibly because he was too preoccupied with the image in the screen.

Minako's gaze slid to the man driving next to her and her heart softened involuntarily at the sight. She recalled back the times when she used to 'stalk' him. Back then, he had seemed like any other crushes she used to have, although her infatuation with him was much longer than the others and she had taken more effort to capture his attention. Most of the time, he seemed indifferent to her attention, sometimes even painfully oblivious to it but she knew it was not meant to hurt her. It was just his nature to be so detached of his surrounding. He was aware but he did not pay too much attention to her lavish compliments and exaggerated approaches to catch his eye.

However now, the situation seemed to be in reverse and although he may not harbor any strong feelings for her, he had came to her willingly and offered his services in her time of need. The poignancy of their present situation moved her and if she still kept any feelings for him as she had two years ago, the knowledge of his commitment, even if it were bound by obligations, would shatter her composure and sent her to unparallel heights of contentment. That was how much he had meant to her back then, how much she had longed for just a meager of his attention, for just a second of his glimpse. Every time his eyes slid past her or his expression remained noncommittal to her gesture, she felt a stab of sharp pain through her heart, as though she was rejected over and over again. The brief recollection of her previous infatuation with him triggered a sense of poignancy and unknowingly, a strange yet familiar sense of affection began to wash over her.

Looking at him now, she couldn't help but admire him. His features looked as if they were carved with cool granite, his jaw was hard with grim determination and his manner projected an aura of subtle harshness which complemented his features. His long brown bangs which covered one eye gave him a mysterious look, making him appeared colder than he really was but his most striking features was his eyes. A pair of emerald green with a hint of blue, eyes that was so captivating that they could pierce the soul. Before she could stop herself, her mind toyed with the idea of their baby having such beautiful eyes…

As soon as she thought of that, her heart was almost immediately filled with despair. She wouldn't mind in the least if their baby possessed some of his qualities and attributes. Trowa was extremely good-looking for a guy of his character and beneath his cold exterior, she had never doubted his kindness and his willingness to risk everything he had for his loved ones. That was never an issue. What began to trouble her was his commitment to his duties. Her friends had a point, his presence was constantly needed around the world, if not in outer space and those times when he was not on a mission would be spent in the headquarter, finishing up some reports about his previous missions. What remaining precious times he had when he was not in the headquarter would most probably be spent on sleeping and cleaning his apartment and occasionally for visiting his nephew and niece and catching up with the other pilots. Then, the whole cycle would start all over again and there was clearly no room left for her and their baby. She would have to raise the baby by herself. Without her parents, her friends…Without him. No doubt, her friends would always offered their help and Trowa had given his word that he would always be there for her but it still did not change the fact that she would still have to go through this on her own. She was the one who would be carrying the baby for nine months, she was the one who would have to face all the accusing stares and isolation from society, she was the one who would be gripped with excruciating pain in the labor room. She would have to do all these by herself. All of a sudden, she felt a sense of fear which she had never felt before began to tighten its grip on her throat.

Fearing that Trowa might notice something was amiss, she forced herself to calm down and drew in a deep breath. Stealing another forlorn glance at Trowa, she wondered miserably if he had any doubts about this. His confidence that everything would work out for them offered her some assurance at first but now she began to wonder if he really understood the seriousness of this responsibility. It was not like he had any experience in raising a child. Taking his niece and nephew for an ice-cream treat or babysitting them for an hour or two was not the same as raising a child.

That was the one thing the Gundam pilots lacked in their training. You would think that having mastered all the necessary survival and killing skills, they would at least have the decency to hone their capabilities in other areas, such as improving their communicating skills, sharpening their ability to hold up to twenty drinks or even better, raising a kid, which would surely and most definitely come in handy in the future (as currently demonstrated). However, since they (Trowa mainly) were not equipped with the adequate knowledge to raise a kid and given the fact that she herself was no mother material, she assumed it would not be entirely inappropriate for her to start panicking and genuinely worry for the baby's future upbringing. Nevertheless, she figured it would be so much better if both of them worked together in this issue. Between the two of them, he clearly had the most experience in dealing with children, having babysat his niece and nephew several times. She, on the other hand, was never that fond of children, given their tendency to start screaming at her attempts to humor them or whenever she held them in her arms and no matter how much she tried, she simply could not bond with them, as evidenced in her latest attempt which traumatized her cousin's children. She was still grateful that the kid was able to recite his alphabet well.

_Oh, Trowa_, she mentally pleaded, suddenly feeling the pressure constricting in her chest. _I don't know if I can do this anymore…I don't think I'll be a good mother, the baby needs you...I need you…Please don't leave us…_

"Alright," came the swift reply which prompted a surprise scream from Minako. Turning sharply at her in surprise and after scrutinizing her for a moment, Trowa added softly, "Alright, now would be a good time to talk…"

Minako nodded her head shakily and forced out a smile, her heart still pounding painfully in her chest. "Oh. Okay…A-about what?" It was then when Minako realized that he had pulled over in front of her apartment.

"You tell me."

The way he looked at her made her mentally squirmed and she resisted the impulse to look away since it would make it blatantly obvious she was hiding something that she did not want him to know. His face was calm, almost detached and indifferent to her dilemma but his eyes betrayed no emotion as they seemed to probe deeply into hers, searching for whatever it was she was hiding. His eyes were hauntingly beautiful but they also had a way of staring straight into the soul, penetrating the barrier that shielded one's inner conflicts and threatening to expose their deepest secrets. Fortunately, she didn't have that much to hide from him. Except her recent mixed feelings about their ordeal. Somehow she didn't want him to know about it just yet, not when he had assured her he would not discard his responsibility. It was extremely difficult to predict his reaction and any sign which indicated her distrust could result to his discontent and possibly him leaving her. That, she could not risk. At least not yet.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she answered automatically with a fake smile, feigning confusion.

"Well, you've been awfully quiet in the past two hours."

Minako forced out a nervous laugh while her mind desperately searched for an excuse. "I guess I am a little moody today…possibly because it's the time of the month, you see…" Trowa raised his eyebrows and there was a hint of amusement in his eyes but he didn't say anything. Minako waited for him to reply but when she realized the absurdity of such a statement in her position, she quickly exclaimed in exasperation, "I mean, I'm tired! Yea, that's it!" Checking herself to regain her composure, she continued with forced joviality and with as much dignity as she could muster, "That's right, I'm tired…Exhausted, actually. What, with looking for a new apartment, college assignments and modeling and all…It's not easy to balance all these things, you know…I mean, I'm sure you understand what that's like. Your schedule is more hectic than mine so I can't blame you if you're always not around-" At that point, he raised an eyebrow and upon noticing this, Minako blurted out in panic, "I mean, not to say that you're not here at all…"

"But not long enough to actually qualify being here."

Convinced that he was offended and possibly irritated at her suggestion, she hastily exclaimed, "No! No, that's not what I meant…" She was about to add something else, thought better of it and then, continued wearily, "I'm sorry, that's not what I meant. I just...haven't been myself this morning. It must be the hormones. I think I better go…"

As soon as she threw opened the door and was about to step out of the car, she felt a firm grasp on her forearm and her body stiffened in response, knowing full well of what was next to come. She looked back at him in uncertainty but he was clearly certain about what he had heard and what he was about to do. His features had softened into one of understanding and there was warmth in his eyes, silently pleading her to stay and talk to him. She hesitated, then almost magnetically, she allowed herself to be pulled down gently onto her seat but she couldn't face him, still fearful that she might have somehow incurred his displeasure.

Trowa was perfectly aware of her discomfort since the beginning and he was curious as to what had caused her change of behavior but instead of pouncing on her and demanded an immediate explanation, he had waited patiently for her to tell him. He did not want to force her to tell him but on the other hand, he did not like the idea of her keeping her problems from him. It saddened him a little to know that she did not trust him enough to confide in him and he desperately needed her to trust him if this relationship was going to work. He wished she would just tell him about it instead of him having to pry the answers from her but since it was apparent she refused to tell him anything, he had to ask her and make it clear to her that she could trust him.

"Minako, look at me," he said gently but firm enough to indicate how serious this matter was to him. When she finally looked at him, his tone softened into what he hoped was enough to encourage her to talk, "I'm not a mind reader but it doesn't take a psychic to know that something is bothering you. And I want to know what it is." When she still hesitated, he added meaningfully, "Please."

The stirring tenderness in his voice melted her heart and unable to keep her private worries to herself any longer, she finally relented and replied in helpless resignation, "I'm sorry, Trowa, I didn't mean to worry you like this. There's so many things in my mind and….I keep forgetting you were always so observant." She gave him a small smile. It was strange how he used to be completely oblivious of her presence whereas now he could sense whether she was being herself or not. "Then again, I was never good at keeping anything to myself."

"You know that's not entirely true. But I suppose it is difficult to keep your emotions under control when it comes to things that really matter."

Minako's smile widened a little in agreement before she sobered and grew solemn again. Her eyes darkened in pensive but she tried to maintain a lighthearted attitude as she explained, "I don't know why…I mean, yesterday, everything seem alright. I have a rough plan about everything, how to get through this pregnancy and how to raise the baby. I thought I could handle being a single mother. But now…" She paused to draw in a shaky breath. "Now, I don't know if I can even go through this."

Trowa's chest tightened in dread but he refused to be put off by what could possibly be a momentary phase of helplessness experienced by young mothers-to-be. Maintaining a glacial expression, he persisted quietly, "What makes you say that?"

Her eyes were shimmering with unshed tears as she shrugged, deliberately avoiding his gaze and for awhile, she did not speak and Trowa could almost feel her struggle to maintain her composure but the harder she tried to contain her emotions, the more apparent it reflected on her features. Finally, she lifted her gaze to meet his and allowed him to see the naked pain reflected in her eyes. "Because I'm scared," she whispered brokenly as a tear trickled down her cheek. She took a deep breath and continued, her voice trembling at the effort it took to speak, "I'm scared of going through this…I'm scared of doing this alone…"

"You're not doing this alone."  
"But that's exactly what will happen," she insisted stubbornly. "Please don't get me wrong, I appreciate your support but…." Another tear made its way past her cheek and dropped onto her clenched fists. "But Usagi and the rest will only be here for a few days, I can't expect them to fly all the way back here for me when I need them. And while I'm relief that you're staying nearby and I'm glad that you want to be a part of this, it won't make much difference. You're hardly ever around even when you're not in outer space and when you're not on a mission, you'll spent days in the headquarter writing up about a mission or working on a new mission. Except for Quatre's party last month, I can't recall the last time I actually saw you. So you see, it means the same thing. I'll have to do this on my alone." She lowered her gaze in regret and hesitantly continued, "I don't want to do this on my own, Trowa. But I have no one else to turn to and that makes everything seem so much harder than it really is. On the other hand, I can't ask you to quit your job and stay with me the whole time. I have no such rights, even though I am carrying our baby and it wouldn't be fair to you." Her eyes suddenly lifted to meet his and pleaded him to understand, "But if you can't really be there throughout my pregnancy, then at least try to see our baby each month after she's born, until she can understand why her father have to leave her so much. If you can promise me that, then it'll make things a little easier…."

While it was unnecessarily dramatic(though it clearly suited her character), Trowa was profoundly moved by her devotion and concern for their child. He felt a surge of aching joy at the knowledge that her love for their child ran deeper than he imagined. Despite the risks attached to being an unwed teenage mother, she was still willing to go through this pregnancy and raised the child even when he would not be around as much as she wanted. She had placed the baby's need before her, indirectly taking over her role as a mother. The shattering tenderness of her words and combined with the knowledge that his presence was of great importance to her provided him the temptation to pull her into his arms and kiss her senseless.

Suppressing the urge to smile and concealing his excessive delight beneath his stony features, he replied gently in an attempt to console her, "I know that my job requires a lot of my time and I won't deny that at times, I will have to leave you and our baby for awhile to complete a mission. But you have to understand, that is how I earn my living. That is how I will earn for _our_ living." Minako lowered her eyes in comprehension and gave him a curt nod. When she hesitantly looked up, she found Trowa gazing back at her and his eyes were warm with compassion and understanding. "But did you really think I will allow myself to be transferred as frequently as before now that we have a child to raise?"

The words almost shattered her composure. Her breath was caught in her throat and she was rendered speechless. Doubting the willingness of his commitment yet already too caught up with the sweet promise of his words, her voice was guarded but hopeful.

"Are you saying…you'll stay here? As much as you can?"

She looked at him with eyes that were so pleading and hopeful that he would have agreed to give up his job if she asked him to. "As long as you need me," he answered, unaware that he had lifted a huge burden off her shoulders.

"But are you sure this wouldn't be a problem?" she demanded, still doubtful. "I mean, I know how hectic your job can be…"  
"It's hectic because I want it to be," he informed her patiently. "I can choose to work solely at the headquarter and will only be summoned to outer space if there is an emergency. I've already discussed this with Lady Une and she has no problem with this arrangement. As from next week onwards, I'll be working in the headquarter where you can easily reach me anytime you want." Upon seeing her face brightened in pleasure and her eyes sparkled in delight at the news, he couldn't help giving her a warm smile and added meaningfully, "I'm all yours."  
Her heart instinctively fluttered at the poignant message but she knew better than to take his words to heart. Not that she wanted to, of course. She had long gotten over her crush and just because her heart melted every time when he gave her that smile, it did not mean she was reverting back to her sixteen-year-old self who used to grin foolishly whenever he acknowledged her existence with a nod. She was merely pleased to know that he would be nearby and available when she needed his help. While she forced herself to believe that, a tiny part of her took immense pleasure that he was hers alone.

She smiled back at him. Not in her usual bright and cheerful grin but a small yet unmistakably an appreciative smile that seemed to suppress excessive happiness and contentment. "Thank you," she replied simply, unable to express her gratitude in words alone yet hoping it was enough to let him know she appreciated his effort.

He smiled back at her in understanding.

After sending Minako home, he was well on his way to his counseling session for the drinking problem he never had. While he was driving, he allowed his mind to wonder back to the conversation he had with Minako and came to realize the importance of his presence to her. And he was becoming increasingly desperate to ease her burden as much as he could. Somehow the change in his working schedule did not seem sufficient to him but he did not want to jump into marriage and terrify her at this time. Almost instantly, the solution came to him and the idea did not seem unpleasant at all. In fact, he was adamant that the occasion took place and he would persuade her to accept it even if she was not prepared for his offer at all.

Somewhere in the distant, a loud ring penetrated the silence of the apartment and was abruptly answered by the machine, "_Please leave a message after the beep. Thanks._"

_Beep_.

A hesitant voice spoke at the end of the line, "Hi, Trowa…I hope I got the right number because you didn't mention your name and I couldn't really read Minako's handwriting.…Anyway, it's Usagi here. Sorry about last night for interrupting your meeting and giving you a fat lip. You understand how worried we are about Minako…No hard feelings, right? Oh, and Artemis said he's really sorry for punching you…"

Another voice could be distinctively heard in the background, "No, I didn't!"

"Quiet you!" Usagi retorted harshly. Then, she lowered her voice as if to whisper conspiratorially, "Don't mind him, he really is sorry. He's just a little jealous because Minako used to pay attention to him before you came around. Personally, if we didn't know he was in love with Luna, we would've thought he was in love with Min-"

The machine suddenly cut her off and several seconds later the phone rang again.

"_Please leave a message after this beep. Thanks._"

_Beep._

"Hi, Trowa, it's me again. I better get straight to the point before the machine cut me off again. I just call to invite you to Minako's surprise birthday party at her apartment tomorrow night. I know it's not her birthday yet but we thought it would really surprise her if we celebrate it a few days before her birthday. Don't worry, it's going to be a small group of us there and we've invited the guys so that you won't feel so lonely…Anyway, let us know if you can make it 'cause there's just no point in having this party if you're not coming….I mean, it's not that there's no point in having this party at all…It's not that we plan any scheme to get both of you to…Ouch! Rei stop that! I mean, we didn't plan anything! I mean, we only plan this splendid party to celebrate her birthday and Minako would really, really appreciate it if you come…There no devious, diabolical plan to get you guys to hoo-I mean, see you at the party! Bye!"

**NEXT CHAPTER : **The real confrontation

"Is there something going on between you and Minako?" Duo demanded quietly. It was meant to be lighthearted but there was a distinct edge in Duo's tone that made Trowa uncomfortable and it could only mean that he knew. Even before Trowa had a chance to explain, he could sense that Duo knew about his relationship with Minako. And Duo didn't look too pleased with the information.

"I talked to Minako just now," Duo continued, his eyes met Trowa's in a piercing gaze. "And she told me something interesting about the two of you."


End file.
